How can inhalation of asbestos fiber can lead to lung cancer?

Answer 1

Yes. Breathing asbestos can lead to lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma rarely develops in humans in any way other than the previous inhalation of asbestos fibers.

From Wikipedia:

The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis can be made with chest X-rays and a CT scan, and confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research aboutscreening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

Answer 2

Inhalation of asbestos fiber can lead to lung cancer because the fibers lodge in the tissue of the lung where their presence causes cells to mutate in a specific way leading to the formation of a cancerous tumor growth.

Answer 3

Asbestos lung cancer is caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a material that was often used as insulation in older buildings, until it was discovered that it was a health hazard.