And finally, just as in the asbestos cases, there is a long latency period for realizing damages.

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Asbestos-related problems have a long latency period, while treatment has become more expensive.

ECONOMIST: Asbestos claims

The latency period between radiation exposure and the onset of cancer has been documented to be as long as several decades.

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Because of its widespread use, inadequate protection by manufacturers, and long latency period (it takes about 12 to 20 years after exposure before symptoms appear), an almost un-quantifiable number of people have been harmfully exposed to asbestos.

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More recently, an elevation in leukemia diagnosed in the first year of life was seen in children born in 1986 and 1987, just after the accident at Chernobyl, representing a latency period of less than two years between in-utero exposure and diagnosis.

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