Can Asbestos Cause Liver Cancer?

Short Answer: Yes, asbestos is a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) and asbestos exposure has been linked to liver cancer.

How Can Asbestos Exposure Lead to Cancer of the Liver?

Asbestos exposure is known to cause most cases of mesothelioma (a rare, aggressive form of cancer that affects the lining of the chest and abdomen).

While asbestos exposure is most commonly associated with developing diseases in the lungs and the stomach, research has found a link between asbestos and a range of other diseases and cancers, including liver cancer.

“The overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”-Source: National Cancer Institute (NIH) 1
Risk Factors for Liver Cancer Include Asbestos Exposure

In recent decades, there has been a steady increase in the prevalence of liver cancers in developed countries.

There is a range of recognized risk factors for liver cancer, including obesity, bile duct cysts, chronic liver disease, hepatitis B and C, and habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse.

However, these contributory factors are absent in approximately 50% of cases, leading researchers to consider asbestos causation as a likely cause.

It has been over thirty years since asbestos fibers were first found in human liver tissue.

They have also been found in gallbladders and in the livers of patients diagnosed with ICC.

Still, research is continuously being carried out to determine the extent to which asbestos can and does cause liver cancer.

Recent researchers state that, according to patient questionnaire findings, more than 40% of patients who are diagnosed in the absence of any (other) known risk factors for the disease reported a history of asbestos exposure. Given that asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period, this supports the theory that asbestos is the likely cause of an increase in the incidence of worldwide ICC diagnoses.

Multiple disease risk

Sadly, asbestos exposure can result in the simultaneous development of more than one disease, and there are several reasons for this.

Firstly, because asbestos fibers are so tiny, once inhaled or ingested, they can infiltrate a person’s bloodstream or lymphatic system.

In this way, the fibers can travel to various areas of the body, where they attach to organs and tissues, causing asbestos injury.

Secondly, cancers that develop due to asbestos exposure tend to be particularly aggressive.

As a result, the cancer will often rapidly metastasize, meaning that it will spread to adjacent organs and tissues.

Unfortunately, victims of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma are often not diagnosed until the later stages of the disease’s progression.

The importance of regular screening

Because the risk of metastasis and multiple diagnoses are heightened, victims of asbestos exposure should talk to their healthcare providers about regular screenings to catch any disease development.

This is particularly important for anyone who has received an asbestos injury diagnosis, but also for those who have experienced chronic exposure to asbestos and subsequently have valid health concerns.

If you may have been exposed to asbestos, speak with your healthcare provider about tests and screening to help detect the presence of asbestos fibers and asbestos-related damage.