Asbestos Exposure Potentially Linked to Other CancersWashington, DC - Exposure to asbestos has been linked to a variety of illnesses, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a fatal type of cancer that is diagnosed in less than 3,000 Americans each year.
But new research has linked asbestos exposure with even more forms of deadly cancer, meaning that this toxic substance is even more dangerous than previously thought.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), commercial asbestos is now linked to ovarian cancer.
In addition, WHO reiterated that asbestos causes lung cancer and mesothelioma, and also linked asbestos exposure to the development of cancer of the larynx.
Former Assistant U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Lemen said in a statement that linking asbestos with ovarian cancer "will have far-reaching implications to all women exposed to asbestos."
Recently, the number of cases of mesothelioma diagnosed as a result of secondhand asbestos exposure has increased. Women are most frequently exposed to asbestos in a secondhand fashion as a result of washing their spouse's asbestos-contaminated work clothes.
Lemen is known for his influence in linking asbestos to lung cancer in the 1970s, and recently testified in the federal trial against W.R. Grace & Co., which has been charged with exposing a small town in Montana to deadly asbestos.
The question is whether or not asbestos fibers can make their way into the mesothelium, or lining, of the ovaries. Typically, asbestos fibers enter the body when they are inhaled, and, in rare instances, when they are swallowed. The three "recognized" forms of mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the lungs; peritoneal mesothelioma, which manifests in the abdomen, and pericardial mesothelioma, found in the lining of the heart. A very small number of mesothelioma cases in other parts of the body (including testicular mesothelioma) have been reported.
Asbestos was once a common component in building materials such as floor and ceiling tiles, pipe and boiler insulation, siding, and even some textured paints. Asbestos was prized because it has a natural resistance to damage from both chemicals and fire. Although there are strict limits pertaining to the use of asbestos, over 35 million buildings nationwide still contain asbestos materials.
