Posted on December 24, 2025

After over 20 years of receiving frequently asked questions, ADAO has compiled information from government agencies to address concerns about asbestos exposure and cancer risk.

Top Ten Facts about Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk

  1. Asbestos is the name given to six minerals that occur naturally in the environment. 
  2. Asbestos, chrysotile, actinolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and amosite have been classified as known human carcinogens (a substance that causes cancer) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
  3. There is no safe or controlled use of asbestos. 
  4. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen, and cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovary. 
  5. The latency period from initial asbestos exposure to a mesothelioma diagnosis ranges from 10 to 50 years. 
  6. Asbestos has not been banned in the United States.
  7. Each year, over 40,000 Americans die from preventable asbestos-caused cancers and pleural diseases. 
  8. The last U.S. asbestos mine closed in 2002.
  9. Asbestos was widely used in the building and construction, shipbuilding, and automotive industries from the 1920s to the 1980s. Asbestos can also be found in consumer products and asbestos-contaminated vermiculite.
  10. Smoking can compound your risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. Smokers have a far greater risk of developing lung cancer when exposed to asbestos than the general population.

Linda Reinstein
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