Every year around 125,000 Americans die from lung cancer. While the majority of victims develop cancer as a result of smoking, a significant portion are victims of exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos. Sadly, after asbestos exposure, the risk of lung cancer increases five-fold. Those who have worked in asbestos-using industries are particularly at risk, such as the military, mining, heavy industry, shipbuilding, construction, power plants, and firefighting.
If you or a loved one have received a lung cancer diagnosis and believe asbestos exposure was a factor, you may be entitled to financial compensation to cover your damages via an Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit.
At Shrader & Associates, we’ve helped thousands of patients with asbestos-related diseases and welcome you to contact us today for a free consultation.
How Does Asbestos Cause Lung Cancer?
Asbestos is a toxic mineral that releases tiny fibers into the air. When inhaled, the fibers stick to lung tissue which over time begins to damage lung cells, causing inflammation and scarring. As a result, a tumor can form and DNA can change. Development of the cancer typically takes around 15 to 35 years, with increased exposure increasing the chances of the cancer growing.
Types of Asbestos Lung Cancer
Asbestos exposure can cause two types of lung cancer, non-small cell (NSCLC) and small cell (SCLC).
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer is the cause of around 85% of all lung cancer cases in the U.S. It is considered less aggressive than small-cell lung cancer, spreading slowly and varying in size, shape, and chemical makeup in three subtypes. These subtypes are grouped, as treatment for all three is similar.
The three subtypes of NSCLC are:
Adenocarcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma forms in mucus-producing glandular tissues in the air sacs of the lung. It is the most common type of non-small cell cancer in non-smokers and also accounts for 40% of all non-small cell cancers.
Squamous Cell (Epidermoid) Carcinoma
Squamous Cell (Epidermoid) Carcinoma forms in flat cells within the lining of the airways of the lung. It is found in 30% of all lung cancers.
Large Cell (Undifferentiated) Carcinoma
Large Cell (Undifferentiated) Carcinoma can form in any part of the lung, spreading and growing rapidly compared to the other types of non-small cell lung cancers. It is found in around 15% of all lung cancers.
Non-small cell lung cancer tends to remain isolated in the lungs and its growth and metastasis are much slower than SCLC. The prognosis for non-small cell lung cancer varies with the stage of the cancer, genetic mutations, and a patient’s response to treatment. Surgery is the first line of treatment for patients whose NSCLC hasn’t metastasized further than the local lymph nodes. The patient may also receive follow-up chemotherapy and/or radiation.
Small Cell Lung Cancer
Small cell cancer is behind around 15% of lung cancer cancers. It is far more aggressive than non-small cell cancer and can be identified under a microscope with its distinctly small, oat-shaped cancer cells. By the time a patient is diagnosed with SCLC, there’s a 70% chance their cancer has already metastasized.
This form of cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy and radiation, but not with surgery. It is considered to be responsive to treatment.
Is Mesothelioma a Lung Cancer?
Mesothelioma is a cancer, but it isn’t a lung cancer. Mesothelioma attacks the lining of the lungs (pleura), but not the lungs themselves. It can originate in other areas of the body but does not begin in the lungs like small-cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
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Dealing With Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
Early Signs
In the early stages of asbestosis cancer, and when the asbestos fibers first stick to the lungs, there are rarely obvious symptoms. Symptoms will develop as the condition progresses.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of lung cancer are shortness of breath, a persistent cough, and chest pain. Other symptoms include:
- Recurring chest infections
- Blood when coughing
- Pain when breathing or coughing
- Frequent breathlessness
- Increased fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Unexpected weight loss
- Changes in the appearance of fingers
- Difficulty swallowing
- Face and/or neck swelling
- Chest or shoulder pain
- Wheezing
- A rough voice
Diagnosis of Lung Cancer
If your doctor suspects lung cancer, they will first ask you about your medical history. If you believe you spent time around asbestos, you should inform them. They are then likely to order a radiograph – an X-ray that can create an internal image. As other conditions may have an appearance similar to lung cancer with this type of test, it can be used to rule out many diseases.
Additional tests may then be taken, depending on the location of the primary tumor. If it is centrally located, the patient may undergo:
- Sputum cytology: A sample of sputum (produced in the lungs and the airways leading to them) is examined under a microscope to see if abnormal cells are present and to identify their type.
- Bronchoscopy: An endoscope is introduced into the airways to allow the doctor to examine the bronchi and acquire tissue from the bronchi, the main part of the lung, and the space between the lungs for a biopsy.
- Transthoracic biopsy: This procedure uses a cutting needle to remove a larger tissue sampling. It is typically performed if the bronchoscopy does not produce a definitive diagnosis.
If the tumor is peripherally located, diagnostic procedures may include:
- CT-guided transthoracic biopsy: A CT scan is used to help guide the biopsy needle.
- Thoracoscopy: Like a bronchoscopy, this process uses an endoscope for the examination of the affected area and the removal of tissue for biopsy. However, thoracoscopy gives a much wider view than bronchoscopy, and the procedure ends in a correct diagnosis about 95% of the time.
- Thoracotomy: The chest is surgically opened so a doctor can examine the lung(s).
Stages of Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
- Stage 1: Tumor no smaller than 3 cm
- Stage 2: Tumor has grown to 3-7 cm
- Stage 3: Tumor is larger than 7 cm
- Stage 4 Tumor has invaded other organs
Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer Treatment
Is It Curable?
Asbestosis and asbestos-related cancer is sadly not curable. The damage from the asbestos fibers cannot be reversed. The prognosis will vary depending on how much exposure you experienced and for how long.
Treatments can help many patients live long fulfilling lives, even after being diagnosed. In severe cases, the cancer may get worse and require ongoing medical treatment. Asbestos-related lung cancer treatment aims to remove tumors, kill cancer cells, prevent regrowth, and help retain lung function.
Common Asbestos Lung Cancer Treatment Options
Depending on the type of lung cancer you have, you may be offered the following treatment options:
- A 3-6 week chemotherapy regimen, combined with radiation to the thorax.
- The insertion of radioactive implants directly into the tissue (brachytherapy)
- Surgical removal of the diseased lung area.
- Lung transplant surgery, in rare cases.
- ‘Anti-fibrotics’ medicines that can slow down the rate of scarring.
Filing an Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit
Are You Eligible for a Claim?
If you’ve suffered a lung cancer diagnosis as a result of asbestos exposure, you have the right to compensation via a lawsuit.
If you were exposed at work, it wasn’t your fault. Despite being banned in the 1980s, many companies continued to use the product well into the 1990s. There have even been modern cases of older products being used, despite containing asbestos.
What Compensation Can You Get?
As a victim of asbestos exposure, you are entitled to compensation for your damages, from medical bills and missed wages to loss of earning potential and the suffering your family has endured.
In some cases, victims have received over $1 million. In recent years, for example, we helped an individual win an asbestos lung cancer verdict worth $6.8 million against Amcord Inc, after being exposed to asbestos-containing materials while working. Gaining an asbestos lung cancer settlement like this can help you to recover from related costs and reduce the stress on you and your family, so you can move forward as best as possible.
Our legal team has the resources and experience to determine the true cost of your damages and file a lawsuit that can help you move forward.
Proving Asbestos Lung Cancer
To win an asbestos damages claim, you will need to prove a party was negligent. This means they failed to exercise reasonable care, resulting in lung cancer. In most asbestos cases, negligence occurs when an employer fails to warn the victim about asbestos risks or protect them from exposure.
Our experienced lawyers can help you establish:
The Duty of Care you were owed
- What the Breach of Duty was
- Causation
- The true cost of your damages
How Can I File an Asbestos Lung Cancer Lawsuit?
To file an asbestos lung cancer lawsuit, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Our team will provide a free case review, to collect information to establish liability, before taking care of the heavy work so you can spend more time on your health and with your family. We offer guidance and all-around support to you and your family because we know how difficult your situation is.
We advise you to save any receipts or medical bills related to expenses of your condition, such as missed wages on pay slips, bills for travel to doctor’s visits, medication receipts, and any other related expenses. These can be used to prove the true cost of your damages in your file.
Contact Shrader & Associates For a Free Asbestos Lung Cancer Claim
If you or a loved one has suffered lung cancer from asbestos exposure, know that you are entitled to financial compensation. Having helped thousands of asbestos victims, we believe our team at Shrader & Associates. is the best team of asbestos lawyers in the U.S.
Shrader & Associates welcome you to a free, confidential consultation with our experienced attorneys. Our attorneys can come to you within 48 hours to walk you through your case in person.