Is not a serious problem because the cancers are treatable. Shows concentrations around shipyards that reflect in part the exposure to asbestos that occurred in those areas. Is too confusing to make sense of since there are so many individual factors that cause lung cancer. Would not be expected to reflect differences in cigarette smoking prevalences because of the long latency for lung cancer. Is not possible because different states have different systems of medical surveillance.
Exposure can cause non-malignant lung diseases as well as lung cancer.
Mesothelioma, a rare and highly malignant cancer, is more often than not due to prior asbestos exposure. Clusters of mesothelioma have been identified in places such as Turkey and China due to environmental exposure to asbestos or asbestos-like fibers. Cases of cancer have occurred among the wives of asbestos workers from exposure to the dust while laundering their husband's work clothes that were contaminated with asbestos fibers. The major routes of transmission in the U.S. are contaminated needles and sexual contact. AIDS is 10-12 years.