Asbestos is considered a human carcinogen and the lung is the usual primary site.

Most common forms of lung cancer have been associated with asbestos exposure. The link is most firmly established where the patient also has asbestosis with a strong exposure to asbestos.

Persons dually exposed to both asbestos and cigarette smoke are especially at risk (a fifty-fold increase in risk) for lung cancer. This risk is the result of "synergistic effect" where both carcinogens work together to promote cancer at a rate far greater than either one separately.

There is a latency period between initial exposure to asbestos and the actual cancer onset of at least 10 years.

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