Stomach Cancer Caused by Asbestos Exposure

While the dangers of asbestos and its link to lung cancer and mesothelioma are well known, did you know that asbestos can cause other cancers? Asbestos, a lightweight fibrous mineral, was once found everywhere in everything from building materials to firefighter protective gear. We know it’s deadly, but you can still encounter asbestos in many places. And when materials containing asbestos break down, the deadly fibers can enter the air and water, where people can ingest and inhale them. Unfortunately, ingested asbestos can cause cancers throughout the body, including in the stomach.

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Risk Factors for Stomach Cancer

Some of the most common risk factors for stomach cancer include:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• A diet that includes large amounts of preserved meats and vegetables, processed, grilled, or charcoaled meat
• Heavy alcohol use
• Heavy tobacco use
• A history of stomach surgery
• Stomach polyps
• Pernicious anemia
• Menetrier disease
• Epstein-Barr virus
• Having Type A blood
• Some inherited cancer syndromes

Age, sex, and ethnicity can also affect your risk of developing stomach cancer. Men, people over the age of 60, and people of Asian, African, Hispanic, Pacific-Islander, and Native American descent are more likely to develop colon cancer.

You may also be at risk of stomach cancer if you’ve been exposed to asbestos. If you inadvertently ingest asbestos fibers that have entered the air or water, the lightweight fibers can lodge in your stomach, causing inflammation and, eventually, cancer.
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Symptoms of Stomach Cancer

Symptoms of stomach cancer include:

• Stomach or abdominal pain
• Trouble swallowing
• Stools that look black or contain blood
• Bloating or fullness after eating a small amount
• Not feeling hungry
• Nausea, vomiting, and indigestion
• Heartburn
• Exhaustion
• Unexplained weight loss

If you experience these symptoms, you should see your doctor. Of course, if you have a history of asbestos exposure, make sure your doctor knows so you can regularly be screened for early signs of cancer.
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How Asbestos Exposure Happens

The most common way people are exposed to asbestos is through work. Some high-risk occupations include construction work, shipyard work, manufacturing, and firefighting. But you can also face asbestos exposure through:

• Secondary Exposure: If a loved one works with or near asbestos, they may bring it home on their clothes or shoes.
• Environmental Exposure: If you live near an asbestos mine or a deposit of naturally occurring asbestos, you could face exposure when asbestos in the ground is disturbed or removed.
• Catastrophic Exposure: If you’re near the destruction or damage of buildings containing asbestos through fire, flood, or wind, you could face exposure to asbestos as it enters the air and water near your home.
• Exposure at Home: You could also face exposure at home if you live in an older home with materials that contain asbestos, through home renovations and repairs, from products containing talc, and from do-it-yourself brake and auto repairs.

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Know Your Legal Options

If you have a stomach cancer diagnosis after asbestos exposure, you may be entitled to financial compensation. But you don’t have to figure this out on your own. The Madeksho Law Firm is here to help. We’ve been helping victims of asbestos exposure since 1972.  Call us at 888-910-6376 or contact us online to find out how we can help.  The consultation is free, and you won’t pay a dime unless we recover compensation on your behalf.