The two most common asbestos lung cancer types are non-small cell and small cell.

Asbestos lung cancer is caused by asbestos exposure; the condition is aggravated by smoking. The two most common asbestos lung cancer types are non-small cell and small cell. Most asbestos lung cancer starts in the lining of the bronchi, the tubes into which the trachea or windpipe divides. Asbestosis is a type of scarring of the lung caused by asbestos fibres which have lodged in the lungs after being inhaled from the air.

Lung cancer: Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing lung cancer. A very important point is that asbestos exposure and smoking act together to produce a huge risk developing cancer. Fortunately, this means that people who have been exposed to asbestos can greatly reduce the risk of lung cancer by not smoking. Because of improving evidence, our "best estimate" of the annual number of asbestos-related lung cancers has been revised over the years from "about two lung cancer deaths per mesothelioma each year" before the early 1990s. However, in view of the uncertainties "around one asbestos-related lung cancer per mesothelioma" is probably still a reasonable view.