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Over the course of the past century, millions of innocent people have been exposed to asbestos, a class of fibrous minerals known to cause a variety of cancers.
Often referred to as "asbestos cancer," mesothelioma is the most
common form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Other deadly forms
of cancer are also caused by exposure to asbestos, such as lung cancer,
gastrointestinal cancer, and colorectal cancer, just to name a few.
For many decades asbestos was considered an acceptable source of
insulation, and thousands of materials made from asbestos were widely
applied in industrial and domestic settings.
Asbestos was found
in countless products on the commercial market, in many factories,
homes and public structures, and in a myriad of industries, such as
railway production, shipbuilding, and energy production.
Of the millions of people who have been exposed to asbestos in the
United States alone, thousands have developed life-threatening
illnesses, many of which are aggressive cancers. Each year,
approximately 10,000 Americans die from diseases caused by exposure to
asbestos.
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