In this section we focus on the medical information relating to asbestos-related diseases. The information provided is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between a patient and his/her own physician.

We look at the main medical conditions linked to asbestos exposure and take you through the process of diagnosis and treatment with both your General Practitioner and your consulting specialist. We also introduce you to the Australian researchers and their research projects as they seek to understand the causes of asbestos-related diseases and to find possible cures.

The medical information on the site has been compiled with the assistance of Clinical Professor Bill Musk, Department of Respiratory Medicine Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia.

Medicine recognises the prime importance of prevention in asbestos-related disease – that human contact with asbestos fibres introduced into the built environment must be eliminated. The risk of disease is minimised only if occupational and public health regulations relating to asbestos are fully observed. Medicine tells society that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres.