What types of cancer other than mesothelioma are thought to be caused by exposure to asbestos?

Lung cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer and stomach cancer may be caused by exposure to asbestos. Studies have also shown an increased risk for cancer of the kidney and gallbladder.

Isn’t lung cancer caused by smoking?
Although smoking is a major cause of lung cancer, it is not the only cause. Some people who have never smoked have been diagnosed with lung cancer. Asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer, and asbestos exposure together with smoking increases the risk even more.

Are any other diseases caused by asbestos exposure?

Asbestosis is a respiratory disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause scar tissue (fibrosis) to form inside the lung. Scarred lung tissue does not expand and contract normally, and cannot perform gas exchange. The severity of the disease depends upon the duration of exposure to asbestos and the amount inhaled. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing asbestosis.

• Cardiovascular problems can develop in patients with asbestosis when fibrosis of the lungs leads to increased resistance to blood flow through the capillary bed.
• Pleural effusion is a collection of fluid around the lung that may develop a few years after asbestos exposure. These fluid collections are not harmful and usually go away on their own.
• Pleural plaques (changes in the membrane surrounding the lung) and pleural thickening. Although these changes in the pleura do not necessarily cause cancer, one government study suggests that people with pleural disease caused by asbestos exposure may be at increased risk for lung cancer.