There’s been a dramatic and alarming increase in lung cancer being diagnosed among people who’ve never smoked cigarettes, and researchers are beginning to suspect that asbestos may be to blame. While the toxic mineral has long been associated with mesothelioma and other occupational diseases, there is growing evidence that occupational exposure may be creating a whole new class of victims.
Consumer and Environmental Exposure to Asbestos May Be Causing Lung Cancer
In recent days, the public’s attention has been captured by headlines about juries ordering Johnson & Johnson and other companies selling talc-based products to pay multi-million dollar damage awards to mesothelioma and ovarian cancer victims. But scientists are looking beyond asbestos in talc to explain the percentage of never-smokers among U.S. lung cancer patients rising from 8 percent to 14.9 percent over the last 25 years.
A study out of the United Kingdom’s Brompton Hospital showed an even larger and faster increase from 13 percent in 2008 to 28 percent in 2014. Medically speaking, never-smokers are people who’ve smoked less than 100 cigarettes over the course of their lifetime. Lung cancer in never-smokers (LCINS) has become the subject of rapidly increasing research during the last two decades, as preliminary data suggest these cases are continuing to grow, and raises questions about whether asbestos could be to blame.
Beyond Mesothelioma, Asbestos Creates Five-Fold Lung Cancer Risk
While it’s well known that exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma, research shows that asbestos exposure increases lung cancer death rates in never-smokers by 5.2 times compared to those not exposed to asbestos, and a Japanese study found that 12.8 percent of lung cancer patients had previous asbestos exposure that could have been the cause. Women are more frequently affected by LCINS than men, with adenocarcinoma by far the most frequently diagnosed histological subtype.
Although asbestos exposure is mostly listed as an occupational risk, growing evidence suggests that environmental asbestos exposure could also present a significant risk. Even asbestos exposures at the lower end of the distribution curve were found to be associated with a clearly elevated lung cancer risk, and researchers have concluded that fibers of all lengths and diameters should be considered capable of inducing lung cancer. Notably, they have found that small-sized, unregulated fibers may cause even more pronounced harm than larger particles.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or other asbestos-related diseases, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
