Recently, Dame Esther Rantzen has been in the news, talking about her diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer and it has been questioned whether asbestos at the BBC studios caused her cancer.
Lung cancer has many causes and Dame Esther’s doctors have apparently ruled out smoking as a potential cause of her cancer, but had not ruled out exposure to pollution or asbestos. If she was exposed to asbestos, could her lung cancer be asbestos related?
Asbestos and lung cancer
Exposure to asbestos can increase the risk of developing lung cancer, however, asbestos-related lung cancer is pretty rare. In order to show that lung cancer could be caused by asbestos, someone would need to evidence a very heavy history of exposure to asbestos. This would be the type of exposure we would see from laggers who were mixing raw asbestos with water and using it to insulate pipes, or from workers in asbestos factories who spent hours each day around raw, loose asbestos fibres.
Having a smoking history doesn’t discount someone from having asbestos-related lung cancer and in fact, exposure to asbestos along with a smoking history increases the risk of developing lung cancer as there is a synergistic effect with the two combined.
So, could Dame Esther’s time with the BBC could have contributed to her diagnosis of lung cancer? It is unlikely. Walking through corridors which contain asbestos would not create enough exposure for this.
Asbestos and mesothelioma
Sor far, reports have only stated that Dame Esther has stage 4 lung cancer, there has been no mention that she has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, we do not know. However, if she did have mesothelioma, is it possible that this was caused by asbestos in the BBC buildings?
To be at risk of developing mesothelioma you only need minimal exposure to asbestos. So, if Dame Esther had been present in the corridors of the BBC whilst maintenance or repair works were being carried out and asbestos was being drilled into or distubred, she could have had enough exposure to potentially develop mesothelioma.
BBC payouts
It is well-known that the BBC buildings contain asbestos, and they have previously settled claims made by the families of 11 former staff members, these were all mesothelioma claims.
How can we help?
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer or any other asbestos-related condition and you don’t know where to start, get in touch with us. We will fully investigate whether you can make a claim and will be with you every step of the way. Contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.