"<p>LUNG CANCER: This asbestos disease can result from occupational or environmental asbestos exposure;<br>it is the predominant malignancy contracted by the asbestos exposed. There is a powerful synergistic<\/p>\r\n<p>interaction between asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking. If you set the lung cancer risk as 1 for a non-<br>smoker with no occupational asbestos exposure, the risk for an asbestos worker who did not smoke is 5<\/p>\r\n<p>times, for a smoker with no asbestos exposure it is 10 times and for a smoker who worked with asbestos it<br>is 55 times the background level.<br>MESOTHELIOMA: Once considered a rare tumor, Mesothelioma has become increasingly common. It is a<br>cancer that usually arises on the outer surface of the lung (pleura) but can also occur in the lining of the<br>abdominal cavity (peritoneum) and on rare occasions elsewhere. There is a consensus that the most<br>common causal agent of Mesothelioma is asbestos. Mesothelioma may occur in the absence of asbestosis<br>and can be associated with relatively low exposures to asbestos. It accounts for most victims who contract<br>asbestos-related disease through environmental exposure and is a notoriously aggressive cancer with no<br>known cure.<br>Where Was Asbestos Used in Older Homes?<\/p>\r\n<p>Until the late 1980s, asbestos was incorporated into a wide array of building materials due to its fire-<br>resistant, insulating, and strengthening properties. Unfortunately, this resulted in potential exposure risks for<\/p>\r\n<p>occupants of older homes. While the use of asbestos has significantly declined, it's crucial to be aware of its<br>presence in homes built before the 1990\u2019s.<\/p>"