Exposure to asbestos has proven to result in a wide range of health conditions

Exposure to asbestos has proven to result in a wide range of health conditions, including mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. In addition to mesothelioma, Navy veterans account for 16 percent of asbestos-related lung cancer. For many decades asbestos exposure has been known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer.

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of cases. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a non-cancerous, chronic lung ailment). However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung. Like mesothelioma, the latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of asbestos related lung cancer may be many years. Alone, either cigarette smoking or asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer.