Former industrial workers and veterans develop diseases due to asbestos exposure
Lung cancer is primarily caused by cigarette smoking. Nonetheless, asbestos exposure is accountable for nearly 5% of all diagnosed cases of lung cancer and 4,800 Americans lose their lives annually to asbestos-related lung cancer. When it is a consequence of exposure to asbestos, lung cancer develops differently and also entails a long latency period of 15 to 35 years.
Moreover, smokers with a history of asbestos exposure are between 50 and 84 times more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer. Smoking has not been found to increase the risk of developing mesothelioma.
Other cancers caused by asbestos exposure
Asbestos exposure is responsible for other cancers as well, since once inside the body, asbestos fibers can easily travel through the bloodstream and subsequently reach other organs, such as the stomach or the colon. Thereby, people with a history of asbestos exposure can come to struggle with the following cancers within 20 to 50 years of their first asbestos exposure:
- esophageal cancer – 20%
- bronchial cancer – 10%
- gastrointestinal cancer – 30%
- colorectal cancer – 30%
- throat cancer – 20%
- mesothelioma – 10%
Mesothelioma is a rare asbestos-related disease
Mesothelioma develops exclusively as a result of asbestos exposure. Every year, between 2,500 and 3,000 people develop mesothelioma in the U.S., most of whom have been in regular contact with asbestos in the workplace several decades ago.
In fact, all asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period and tend to occur within 20 to 50 years of first exposure.
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type. However, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, representing less than 0.2% of all cancer cases.
We provide quality legal assistance to victims of asbestos exposure
If you or a family member developed cancer as a result of occupational or military asbestos exposure, we strongly encourage you to take legal action. While the legal process is very complex, your involvement will be minimal, as you will only have to provide our attorneys with your employment or military records, which you must retrieve, and with your medical records, documents that will be used as evidence of your asbestos exposure and of your related diagnosis.
With over 30 years of experience in recovering compensation for the victims of asbestos exposure, our attorneys will gladly help you obtain the money you deserve for your physical and emotional distress.
