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What are asbestos-related diseases?
There are several different kinds of diseases that are related to previous exposure to asbestos fibers, and they can be categorized in various ways:
Some are malignant (or cancerous), such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. Others are benign (non-malignant or non-cancerous), such as asbestosis, pleural plaques, diffuse pleural fibrosis, and benign pleural effusions.
Some are increasingly and severely disabling, often leading to death, like mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer; and others are less so, such as pleural plaques and thickening, which rarely produce symptoms or disability.
Some are very clearly and directly attributable to exposure to asbestos, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. For others, such as gastro-intestinal tract cancers, the causal connection to asbestos exposure is one that appears probable but has not yet been proven with certainty.
The diseases for which asbestos exposure is a generally accepted cause are mesothelioma, asbestosis, small airway fibrosis, scarring, pleural plaques, pleural fibrosis, pleural effusion, and many lung cancers. Diseases for which asbestos exposure is not at this time generally accepted as the cause, include cancers of the kidney, GI tract and ovary.
Each of these asbestos-related diseases can only be diagnosed through medical examinations and tests. If you were exposed to asbestos it does not mean that you therefore must have, or will have, an asbestos-caused disease. But it does mean that you should:
- be vigilant about your health,
- receive regular medical care and check-ups, and
- tell your doctor about your asbestos exposure.
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