A new study of Italian asbestos cement workers reveals the effects of ceasing asbestos exposure on the lining of the lungs. The risk of lung cancer in people exposed to asbestos falls after exposure to the toxic substance ends. The risk of mesothelioma in the pleura (lung lining) also declined after exposure ended, but the workers' risk of mesothelioma in the peritoneum (abdominal lining) continued to climb.

A total of 3,434 male and female workers were followed in order to understand the long-term risks of asbestos-related disease. All were working at the plant in 1950 or had been hired between 1950 and 1986, when the plant halted production. To read the complete findings of the study, click here.