In short: Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining around the lungs or abdomen, and even a small exposure to asbestos can cause it. Asbestosis is not cancer. It is scarring of the lungs caused by heavy, long-term exposure. Both are caused by asbestos, and people with either disease may be entitled to compensation.
Mesothelioma and asbestosis are diseases caused only by inhaling asbestos dust and fibre. However, they are very different conditions.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer. Several hundred Australians are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. By May 2026, the national registry had recorded 627 diagnoses for 2025, and that number rises as late reports arrive.
The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma affects the pleura, a membrane (or lining) surrounding the lungs. The second most common type is peritoneal mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the peritoneum, a membrane that lines the abdomen around the stomach and other organs. Mesothelioma may also, rarely, occur in other membranes around the body.
There is currently no cure for mesothelioma. However, treatments have improved significantly in recent years, which means that for many people, life expectancy and quality of life have improved.
Smoking does not cause mesothelioma.
There is no minimum level of exposure to asbestos below which there is no risk of developing mesothelioma. Mesothelioma usually appears decades after exposure. For Australians diagnosed between 2010 and 2020, the median time from first exposure to diagnosis was about 50 years.
What is asbestosis?
Asbestosis is not cancer. Asbestosis is a chronic condition where lung tissue scars and becomes fibrotic. The main symptom of asbestosis is shortness of breath.
Asbestosis symptoms can range from mild to severe. Asbestosis can sometimes progress and can be fatal.
Asbestosis is a type of pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis can occur for a range of reasons (or for no known reason at all).
Unlike mesothelioma, asbestosis requires a substantial amount of asbestos exposure. Short exposures cannot cause the disease. As a result, asbestosis is almost always an industrial disease, which means people with asbestosis usually worked with asbestos materials over a long period. However, there have also been cases of asbestosis in women who washed the clothes of husbands or children who worked with asbestos.
Smoking does not cause asbestosis.
The latency period for asbestosis (the time between exposure and the development of the disease) is generally at least ten years, but it can be much longer.
What other diseases does asbestos cause?
In addition to mesothelioma and asbestosis, asbestos causes a range of other conditions, including:
- Asbestos-related lung cancer: Asbestos is a known cause of lung cancer. Where a person has been a smoker and exposed to asbestos, the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly greater than the risk from either factor alone. Unlike mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer only arises when a person has had a substantial period of asbestos exposure.
- Other cancers: Asbestos is a cause of several other types of cancer, including cancer of the larynx and ovary. Claims for compensation for these cancers are less common but can be pursued.
- Asbestos-related pleural disease (ARPD): ARPD is a range of conditions, including thickening and hardening of parts of the pleura, as well as pleural effusions. ARPD can stop the lungs expanding properly and can lead to pain and shortness of breath. Like asbestosis, ARPD is not cancer but can be progressive and lead to severe disability.
- Pleural plaques: Pleural plaques are small, calcified deposits on the pleura. They are a common consequence of asbestos exposure but are generally not disabling. Pleural plaques on their own do not usually lead to compensation, because they do not usually cause pain or disability.
People with the other conditions listed above may be entitled to compensation, depending on how and where they were exposed.
How do I get advice?
The rules for asbestos claims differ between states and territories, including which court hears the claim, how quickly it can be heard, and what happens if the person dies before the claim is finished. We have acted for people in every Australian state, and we can tell you how the rules apply to you.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos disease, call us on 1800 430 855 for a free, confidential conversation about your options.
Read more: How do you know which exposure to asbestos caused a mesothelioma?, Does exposure to asbestos cause lung cancer? and Facts: asbestos exposure and cancer risk.
Reviewed by David Taylor, Segelov Taylor Lawyers, September 2026.