Asbestos Related Diseases

This section of the Asbestos Awareness site provides information about the most common types of asbestos disease caused by asbestos exposure. For information on claiming asbestos disease compensation, go to the Legal Advice section of this site, where you will find out all you need to know about starting an asbestos disease claim.

Asbestos diseases are lung diseases, with the common denominator being they are all caused by exposure to asbestos.

Anyone who inhales asbestos fibres is at risk of getting an asbestos disease. The more frequently they suffer exposure to asbestos and the more significant the amounts of asbestos dust they inhale, the higher is someone’s risk of getting an asbestos-related illness.

When asbestos dust is inhaled, it settles either on the lining or inside of the lungs, and it starts a process that may ultimately lead to asbestos disease.

Whether someone does get an asbestos disease, and if so, what type, depends on several factors which include:

• How much asbestos you were exposed to.
• How often you were subjected to asbestos exposure.
• How long you were exposed to asbestos.
• What type of asbestos you were exposed to.
• Whether you smoked.
• Whether you suffer from other lung conditions that could make you more vulnerable to getting an asbestos illness, e.g. asthma, or COPD.

If you cannot find the information that you are looking for, simply contact us using this form or by calling us on 0800 987 8809. We will be only too pleased to try and help you.

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What types of asbestos diseases are caused by asbestos exposure?

The most common types of asbestos disease are listed below. Each link takes you to a page containing more detailed information about each specific asbestos disease.

Two types of asbestos disease are malignant (cancerous):

• Mesothelioma – a kind of cancer that is only caused by asbestos exposure.
• Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer – although most lung cancer cases originate from smoking, asbestos exposure can also be a cause.

Usually, considerable asbestos exposure, both in frequency and amount, is required to cause both mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer.

Three other asbestos conditions are non-malignant in that they do not cause cancer, and these are:

• Asbestosis – also called Pulmonary Fibrosis and Interstitial fibrosis. Asbestosis is pulmonary fibrosis caused by asbestos. Pulmonary fibrosis has other causes – not just asbestos.
• Pleural Thickening – also known as pleural fibrosis, is an asbestos-related disease caused by fibrosis of the pleura. Pleural thickening has other causes, but where there is evidence of asbestos exposure, it is reasonable to believe asbestos was the cause of the illness.
• Pleural Plaques – this asbestos-related condition also affects the pleura, the lung’s outer lining. Whereas pleural thickening indicates more widespread lung scarring, pleural plaques are benign scar tissue that appears as patches covering some of the lungs.

Pleural plaques do not usually affect lung function, and most people who get pleural plaques live everyday lives without impairment to their quality or length of life.

Due to their close connection to various types of asbestos disease, it is helpful to understand two illnesses that can be asbestos disease-related. These are:

• Pulmonary Fibrosis.
• Pleurisy.

All of the asbestos-related disease pages linked to on this page carry details of:

• The latency period for each asbestos disease.
• The specific symptoms of the individual asbestos diseases.
• Details of how each disease is diagnosed.
• Treatments available.
• The prognosis in each case.

Here is a summary of some general observations that can be applied to asbestos diseases.

What is the latency period?

The phrase’ latency period’ is often referred to on the Asbestos Awareness website’s pages. The latency period refers to the time between getting exposed to asbestos and showing symptoms of asbestos disease.

The words’ latency period’ crop up so often concerning asbestos disease because the period from exposure to symptoms can be decades – 15 to 50 years, depending on the type of asbestos disease.

This long latency period is why people are still being diagnosed with asbestos disease today.

What are the more common symptoms of asbestos disease?

• Shortness of breath.
• A persistent cough that doesn’t go away.
• Chest pain.
• Feeling tired all the time.
• Wheezing.
• Weight loss.
• Swelling of the fingers.

Most symptoms of asbestos disease could easily be mistaken as a sign of a much less severe medical condition when looked at on their own. We are not medical experts and are certainly not qualified to give medical advice. However, should any of these symptoms appear, particularly in someone who knows or thinks they were exposed to asbestos at some time in their life, they must be checked by a medical professional immediately. The first point of call would typically be their GP in the UK.

How is asbestos disease diagnosed?

Here are some of the methods used to diagnose asbestos disease:

• Consultation with a GP or other healthcare professional.
• Chest X-Ray.
• CT Scan.
• Lung function test.
• Biopsy – examination of lung tissue.

How is asbestos disease treated?

There is currently no cure for asbestos disease. Depending on the type of asbestos disease diagnosed, the progress of the disease can be slowed down or managed. Here are some of the methods used to treat or manage mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer:

• Chemotherapy.
• Surgery.
• Radiology.
• Immunotherapy.
• Palliative care – to help lessen the pain and symptoms.

In the case of the non-cancerous diseases of asbestosis and pleural thickening:

• Pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Oxygen therapy.
• Lifestyle management.
• Exercise.
• Prescription inhalers.

What is the prognosis for someone diagnosed with asbestos disease?

The prognosis or outlook for someone diagnosed with asbestos-related disease varies greatly depending on the type of asbestos condition they are diagnosed with.

In the case of the asbestos cancer diseases of mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer, the prognosis is generally poor. The long latency-period means the cancer is advanced when the asbestos disease is diagnosed.

For the non-cancerous types of asbestos disease, the prognosis is generally better and more manageable over a more extended period of time.

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Pleural plaques is usually symptomless and, in most cases, will not require any treatment.

We are not qualified to give medical advice. None of the information on this page or any other page of the Asbestos Awareness website is intended to constitute medical advice. If you think you may have an asbestos disease, you should urgently contact your GP for medical advice.

Should you consider making an asbestos disease compensation claim, you will find more information about doing so in the Legal Advice section of this website.

Asbestos Awareness is dedicated to informing, educating, and supporting people in relation to asbestos-related diseases.

For further information, or to speak to a member of our experienced medical personal injury solicitors, please call 0800 987 8809. Alternatively, you can fill in this contact form.

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