There are many diseases associated with asbestos exposure and they can be classified in many ways. Some of these diseases are malignant or cancerous, for example, mesothelioma and lung cancer. There are other health conditions that are bening, that is to say, they are not cancerous, for instance, diffuse pleural fibrosis, asbestosis, pleural plaques and pleural effusions.

Most of these diseases have severe consequences for health. Some of them often cause the patient death (mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer) and the others, though less disabling, affects the proper functioning of the organism in different ways.

Most of them are directly attributed to asbestos exposure (asbestosis and mesothelioma). Others, for example, cancers affecting the gastro-intestinal tract, are thought to be connected with asbestos exposure but there is no absolute certainty.

However, there are many diseases directly associated with exposure to asbestos. For instance, mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, and many lung cancers.

On the other hand, kidney, gastro-intestinal tract and ovary cancer are diseases which, up to now, have not been accepted to be caused by asbestos exposure. 

All asbestos-related diseases can only be detected by the use of medical examinations and tests. If a person has been exposed to asbestos, this does not imply that he or she will suffer from an asbestos-related disease.

However, it is important to be precautious about your health. In this way, any person who has been in contact with asbesto should have regular check-ups and examinations and above all inform the doctor about the asbestos exposure.