Which asbestos-related disease primarily affects individuals who are exposed to asbestos and smoke?

• A. Asbestosis
• B. Lung cancer
• C. Mesothelioma
• D. Pleural effusion

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that smoking plus asbestos exposure greatly increases the risk of a specific cancer. Smoking adds carcinogens and damages airway cells, while asbestos fibers cause inflammation and genetic damage. When these factors combine, they multiply the risk for lung cancer beyond what either exposure would cause alone. Asbestosis involves scarring from asbestos, pleural effusion is fluid around the lungs, and mesothelioma, though strongly linked to asbestos, is not primarily driven by smoking. So the disease most associated with both asbestos exposure and smoking is lung cancer.