ABSTRACT
LUNG DISEASES CAUSED BY INHALED FIBERS Asbestos Asbestos mineral fibers produce four major categories of human disease: pulmonary fi brosis (asbestosis), benign asbestos-related pleural responses, bronchogenic carcinoma, and mesothelioma. The likelihood of developing each of these conditions is generally related to the cumulative dose of asbestos received. True asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis) is limited to individuals who receive high doses of exposure and requires many decades to develop fully, while pleural plaques can develop with much lower exposure, and meso thelioma is sometimes attributed to quite brief asbestos exposure.
