Two words that are often found together are asbestos lungs. The reason for this is that when airborne, the tiny fibers in asbestos affect the outer lining of the lungs. (They also affect the lining of the stomach and the heart). Mesothelioma can develop and it is considered a type of lung cancer. Asbestos is a very, very dangerous material but was once used so much because it seemed to be a wonder material. It was fire resistant, strong and had literally hundreds of uses. In fact, asbestos has been used for centuries. The health repercussions of asbestos began to be acknowledged as far back as 1897. However, because of it's wonderful abilities, it was used widely in home and building construction from 1920-1980. It can take 40 years for Mesothelioma to be diagnosed which means there are still people today who will have Mesothelioma and not know it yet. Because asbestos was used even after the news of the health dangers, there are many people filing and winning lawsuits. While the use of asbestos in the US has declined, the production has not. Outside of North America, asbestos is still widely used. It is still going to make its way into peoples lungs.