Asbestos Related Lung Cancer
Asbestos related lung cancer refers to any type of malignant tumour that originates in the lung tissue itself, unlike mesothelioma, where tumours usually develop in the pleural lining surrounding the lung. This is the same type of cancer commonly caused by smoking.
People who have asbestosis (or diffuse pleural thickening) and also smoke cigarettes are significantly more likely to develop lung cancer than those with asbestosis who do not smoke.
Timescale
It usually takes 20 years or more from the time of asbestos exposure for lung cancer to develop. All exposure to asbestos up to the point when asbestosis becomes clinically apparent is relevant both in terms of future risk and current disability.
Survival rates are typically low. Between 1 in 20 and 1 in 50 individuals with lung cancer are still alive five years after diagnosis.
Evidence
In court, it can be difficult to prove that lung cancer is caused by asbestos dust if you have not already been diagnosed with asbestosis. Without this, compensation may still be possible — but stronger evidence is required.
We will need to obtain medical reports to establish whether your lung cancer is likely to have been caused by asbestos exposure. If tests on your lungs show that you have inhaled a large number of asbestos fibres, this may be enough for a doctor to make that link, even without a diagnosis of asbestosis.
Asbestos related lung cancer benefits
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the courts are often reluctant to accept a connection between asbestos exposure and lung cancer unless other evidence is available.
The DWP will generally only approve a claim for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit if their medical board also confirms a diagnosis of asbestosis or a certain level of diffuse pleural thickening.
Find out more: Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit – GOV.UK