Asbestos Exposure and Lung Cancer: What Today’s Evidence Means for Families and Workers

For generations, asbestos has been tied to deadly diseases. Most people know about mesothelioma, but fewer realize asbestos also causes a significant share of lung cancer around the world. Recent peer‑reviewed research helps explain how big the problem is, why risk persists for decades, and how screening can save lives—especially for people with confirmed exposure.

How Large Is the Lung Cancer Burden From Asbestos?

Two global, open‑access studies published in 2025 offer sobering numbers:

• BMJ Public Health:
  “Asbestos‑related thoracic cancers (ARTCs)… accounted for over 95% of deaths from asbestos‑related cancers” and warn that even as some rates fall, “the absolute number of ARTC deaths is rising due to population growth and aging.” They also stress that “the positive impact of asbestos ban policies… takes decades to manifest.”
• Environmental Health:
  Scientists estimate that “9.4% of lung cancer deaths” worldwide in 2021 were linked to occupational asbestos exposure and note:
  “We observed, approximately 25 years after the complete ban on asbestos use, a declining trend for lung cancer incidence, as well as for mortality and DALYs due to asbestos exposure.”

What this means for families: even if asbestos is banned today, legacy materials in buildings, ships, and older products can continue to harm people for decades. The damage doesn’t disappear overnight.

Does Non‑Work (Environmental) Exposure Matter?

Yes. A BMJ systematic review found:
“A significant increase in the risk of lung cancer was found for neighborhood exposure (1.48, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.86),” indicating that living near asbestos sources raises risk even outside workplaces.

Screening Can Save Lives—When Exposure Is Considered

Low‑dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening helps high‑risk people live longer by finding tumors earlier. A widely cited review concludes:

• “Asbestos exposure is the most important cause of occupational lung cancer mortality,” and
• “The promotion of LDCT‑based screening among asbestos‑exposed workers is an urgent priority.”

The same review suggests screening workers aged 50 and older with five or more years of asbestos exposure (or fewer years if exposure was intense), especially when combined with smoking history.

Bottom line: if you know—or strongly suspect—you were exposed to asbestos, ask your doctor whether LDCT screening fits your situation.

Why Risk Persists Even After Exposure Ends

Asbestos fibers are microscopic and durable. Once inhaled, they can lodge deep in the lungs for decades, fueling inflammation, scarring, and genetic damage. That’s why experts emphasize the long latency between exposure and diagnosis and why global studies observe benefits years—often decades—after bans.

What Families and Workers Can Do Now

• Know your history: Workplaces (construction, shipbuilding, power plants), military service, home renovations, and environmental hotspots all matter.
• Talk to a clinician: If you have documented or likely exposure, ask about LDCT screening and risk‑based monitoring.
• Document exposure: Keep records of jobs, worksites, products, and any building or demolition activity that could have released asbestos.

Call to Action

If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos and later developed lung cancer or a related condition, Brayton Purcell LLP can help you understand your rights and options. Our team has decades of experience investigating exposure pathways and pursuing accountability.

Contact Brayton Purcell LLP or call (800) 361-2417 for a free consultation.