Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer affecting the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen.

Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. The primary cause and risk factor for mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

Making a correct mesothelioma diagnosis is particularly difficult for doctors because the disease often presents with symptoms that mimic other common ailments. There is no known cure for mesothelioma, but treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy have helped to improve the typical mesothelioma prognosis.

Pleural mesothelioma (affecting the lung’s protective lining in the chest cavity) represents about three quarters of all mesothelioma incidence. Peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the abdominal cavity, and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the cardiac cavity, comprises the remainder.

There are three recognized mesothelioma cell-types. Between 50 and 70% of all mesotheliomas are of the epithelial variety. While prognosis is generally poor, it is considered less aggressive than sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma, which comprise the remainder of cell type diagnoses.

The cavities within the body encompassing the chest, abdomen, and heart are surrounding by a membrane of cells known as the mesothelium. Mesothelial cells assist in general organ functions. The mesothelium is particularly important to organs that are commonly in motion, such as expansion or contraction of the lungs, stomach, or heart. Lubrication from the mesothelial cells allows free range of motion within the body. The mesothelium of the chest, abdomen, and cardiac cavity are called the pleura, the peritoneum, and the pericardium, respectively. Each of these groupings of mesothelial cells is extremely critical to the functions of the body structures which they encompass.

Malignancies (cancerous tumors) occurring within the mesothelial membranes are known as malignant mesothelioma, or simply mesothelioma. Benign tumors of the mesothelium are known to occur, but are much more rare than malignant mesothelial tumors.

While tumors of the mesothelium were first recognized in the late 18th century, it was not until the middle of the 20th century that this particular cancer was studied and examined with more detail. It was at this time when suspicions of the cancer’s causal relationship with asbestos exposure became more substantiated. A joint research venture through the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the University of the Witswater and Johannesburg General Hospital in South Africa provided the most compelling evidence of the nexus between asbestos exposure and the development of pleural mesothelioma.

Incidence of mesothelioma is still quite rare, with only 2,500-3000 diagnoses in the United States each year. There was a spike in reported diagnoses between 1970 and 1984, which has been attributed to the latency period between diagnosis and the height of industrial exposures, which occurred roughly 40-60 years prior to this time. Exposure was common in nearly all industries but was particularly common in the WWII-era military industrial cycle, including Navy Shipyards.

Although this cancer is much more common in men over the age of 60 (largely attributed to the industrial exposures within male-dominated industries), mesothelioma in women and children has been described as well. Mesothelioma causes for diagnosis in women and children are mainly attributed to secondary exposure to asbestos, as it was not uncommon for men to bring asbestos back into the home on their body or clothing if proper cleaning facilities were not available on site.

Mesothelioma is diagnosed through a comprehensive combination of biopsy and imaging scans.

Mesothelioma can be a difficult malignancy to diagnose because the symptoms of the disease closely resemble other respiratory conditions, and because the pathology can be very difficult to distinguish from adenocarcinoma of the lung. For this reason, misdiagnosis is not uncommon in mesothelioma patients. Symptoms of mesothelioma include chest pain, chronic cough, effusions of the chest and abdomen, and the presence of blood in lung fluid.

Diagnostic surgeries, including a biopsy, will typically be required to determine the type of malignant cells that are present in the body. Typically a body imaging scan, including a magnetic resonance image (MRI), computer topography (CT scan), and/or positron emission tomography (PET), will be required to determine the extent and location of the disease.

While mesothelioma is typically advanced at diagnosis, treatment options are available.

Mesothelioma, while certainly an aggressive disease, is a manageable malignancy. While there is no cure for the cancer, mesothelioma treatment options may potentially include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. A combination of Alimta® and Cisplatin is currently the only FDA approved chemotherapy regimen, though several clinical trials are currently in progress utilizing other drugs including Gemcitabine and Onconase, that may lead to new treatment options that provide a benefit for patients.

Radiation therapy is also utilized, but typically in conjunction with other treatment methods like surgery and chemotherapy. Surgical resection of mesothelioma is possible in early-stage-diagnosed patients. Diagnostic and palliative procedures such as thoracentesis and pleurodesis are also commonly performed in patients with malignant mesothelioma in order to minimize cancer-related symptoms.

Alternative therapies have also been used effectively by many mesothelioma patients to assist in managing symptoms of the disease and conventional treatments.

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is primarily caused by exposure to asbestos, though cases have been documented in children or other individuals with no asbestos history. Asbestos is a microscopic and naturally occurring mineral that lodges in the pleural lining of the lungs and the peritoneal lining of the abdominal cavity. In most cases, several years will pass (up to 60) before mesothelioma develops in those who had been exposed to asbestos.

Source http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/

Lung Mesothelioma Disease

Lung mesothelioma, and sometimes referred to as mesothelioma disease, is a rare but deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. On average, between 2,000 and 3,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, most often in Caucasian males in the 60-80 age groups. However, anyone who comes in contact with airborne asbestos fibers can be at risk of becoming a mesothelioma victim. The disease takes many years to develop, and although it can be treated to some extent, it is not curable.

Though mesothelioma cancer can form in parts of the body, the disease tends to affect two vital areas: the cardiovascular system and the abdominal organs. Mesothelioma tumors form in the sacs surrounding the lungs, heart, and abdominal wall because the asbestos fibers that cause them are either inhaled or swallowed. Lung (pleural) mesothelioma is the most commonly diagnosed form of asbestos cancer.

If you or a loved one developed lung mesothelioma, you may be entitled to a significant amount of compensation. Over $30 million is available right now in trust funds set up for people who developed illnesses from exposure to asbestos due to the negligence of another party. Contact us today so we can help get the compensation you’re rightfully entitled to.

History of Mesothelioma Disease

The widespread use of fibrous asbestos minerals may have had its benefits as a fire retardant and heat-resistant material, but its presence in millions of homes and workplaces has its darker side. As early as the 1890s, physicians in Great Britain began reporting that workers exposed to asbestos in jobsites were contracting respiratory illnesses and cancers. These early indications that asbestos were a serious health risk to humans were dismissed by the asbestos mining industry at first. When more evidence linking asbestos exposure to lung cancer and asbestosis surfaced in the 1920s, the asbestos industry ruthlessly suppressed it. Even when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigated the causal relationship between asbestos and a rare cancer called mesothelioma in the 1970s, the industry continued to stonewall and deny that asbestos was dangerous.

As a result of the asbestos industry’s reckless suppression of medical data which supported many claims that its product was dangerous, millions of jobsites, public buildings, private homes, and even vehicles now contain asbestos. Although asbestos isn’t currently used in new construction or in modern ships, planes, and planes, it’s still present in structures or vehicles manufactured in the U.S. during World War II and the early Cold War era.

Consequently, almost anyone in the U.S. can be exposed to asbestos fibers. Any activity that involves tearing down of walls, sawing old metal pipes, or removing worn out insulation stirs up the fibrous dust. Once asbestos fibers are in the air, they can be breathed in or swallowed by the unwary. These fibers lodge in the lining of the lungs or abdominal organs and cause irritation in the tissue. Over time, these irritations can mutate into tumors which cause lung mesothelioma. This process, however, takes many years and is hard to detect. A mesothelioma victim is often diagnosed 20, 30, even 50 years after initial exposure. By the time a doctor realizes that the patient has mesothelioma, it is sometimes too late to provide effective treatment.

About Lung Mesothelioma

The type of mesothelioma which affects the lungs is known as pleural mesothelioma, though it can also be referred to as lung mesothelioma. Currently, it is the most common type of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma begins when someone breathes in asbestos fibers, typically at a worksite, in an older public facility, or in a private residence. The asbestos fibers then find their way into the body’s pleural lining and cause irritation in the tissue. Eventually, the irritated tissue’s cells can mutate into cancerous growths.

Over time, the tumors that form in the pleural lining interfere with the lungs’ ability to expand and constrict properly. This makes breathing difficult and often painful. As the tumors grow and spread, the pain and difficulty in breathing increase accordingly. Unfortunately, the slow development of mesothelium in human tissue is protracted and the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma resemble those of common respiratory illnesses.

Symptoms and Signs of Pleural (Lung) Mesothelioma

One of the factors that make the disease difficult to detect is that symptoms of mesothelioma usually do not show up until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Symptoms are what a patient feels, while signs are the outward manifestations of a disease that doctors and other people notice. Often, lung (pleural) mesothelioma symptoms and signs mimic those of common respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia. These include:

·         Shortness of breath

·         Pain beneath the rib cage

·         Coughing, which can sometimes be painful

·         Fatigue or anemia

·         Unexpected and mysterious loss of weight

·         Buildup of fluid around the lung (pleural effusion)

·         Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)

·         Wheezing, hoarseness, or chronic cough

·         In severe cases, a patient may develop multiple tumors in the pleural sac. Some patients can also suffer from a collapsed lung (pneumothorax). Mesothelioma can also metastasize beyond the affected lung and attack either the other lung or additional organs. Other organs that can be affected are the pericardial sac, the lining which surrounds the heart and the chest wall.

Treatment Options

There are three major mesothelioma treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. None of them cure the cancer, but they can add months, even years, to a mesothelioma patient’s life. Surgery is the most invasive procedure to treat lung mesothelioma. For pleural mesothelioma, a surgeon cuts through the ribs in order to reach the affected areas. There are currently two types of surgical procedures: pleurectomy/decortication (the removal of the pleural lining), and the more radical extrapleural pneumonectomy (surgical resection of the affected lung and the surrounding parietal and visceral pleura). In both cases, surgeons may take out either part of or the complete diaphragm and the pericardial sac. In addition, one or more ribs are removed from the patient’s body as a result of these procedures.

Chemotherapy is less invasive than surgery and aids in reducing the size of mesothelioma tumors in the pleural lining. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that attack or kill cells that divide quickly, like cancer cells. When used in tandem with surgery or radiation treatments, the procedure is called “combined modality treatment.” Chemotherapy kills cancers with some degree of success, but it also attacks healthy cells that divide quickly, such as hair follicles, blood cells or cells found in the digestive system. This causes adverse side effects that include hair loss, suppression of the immune system, and nausea.  Doctors use chemotherapy to reduce the size of tumors on the pleural lining and relieve the pressure on the affected lung. However, chemotherapy does not cure mesothelioma; it only helps to relieve some of the symptoms and extend a patient’s life expectancy.

Radiation, when applied in conjunction with extra pleural pneumonectomy surgery, can be an effective form of treatment for mesothelioma. Radiation involves the killing of cancer cells with doses of high energy rays. This treatment is used exclusively in cases of pleural mesothelioma, and can be used either to prevent cancer from returning or to slow down the cancer’s progress in cases where surgery is not a viable option. Targeted radiation treatments also help to relieve a patient’s pain.

It is important to note that while these treatments control the spread of asbestos related cancer in the pleural region, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma in any of its varieties.

Getting Help

If you’ve been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease, our leading mesothelioma law firm will be able to assist you and obtain for you all the financial compensation you’re entitled to. Get the process started today by filling out our form for your free, no obligation case consultation.

For more information, including details on mesothelioma lawsuits, medical treatment options, and more, fill out our form to receive your free Mesothelioma and Asbestos Guide.

Source http://www.mesotheliomalawyercenter.org/lung-mesothelioma-disease/

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cell develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the organs. The most common site is the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart, the pericardium (a sac that surround the heart) or tunica virginals.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked in jobs where they inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers, or were exposed to airborne asbestos dust and fibers in other ways. Washing clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos also creates a risk for developing mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer, there seems to be no association between mesothelioma and tobacco smoking, but smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-induced cancers.

Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall), chest wall pain and constitutional signs such as unexplained weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected based on chest X-ray and CT scan findings, but must be confirmed either by examining serous effusion cytology or with a biopsy (removing a sample of the suspicious tissue). A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to acquire biopsy material, and allows the introduction of the substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (a procedure called pleurodesis), preventing more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or something surgery, mesothelioma carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

Signs and symptoms

symptoms or signs of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years (or more) after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space (pleural effusion) are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. if the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms.

• Chest wall pain 
• Pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
• Shortness of breath 
• Fatigue or anemia
• Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)

In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body.

Tumor that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symtopms include:

• Abdominal
• Ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
• A mass in the abdomen
• Problems with bowel function
• Weight loss

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms

• Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis 
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
• Jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
• Low blood sugar level 
• Plural effusion
• Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
• Severe ascites 

A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

Cause 

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. In the United States, asbestos is the major causes of malignant mesothelioma. and has been considered "indisputably" associated with the development of mesothelioma. Indeed, the relationship between asbestos and mesothelioma is so strong that many consider mesothelioma "signal" or "sentinel" tumor. A history of asbestos exposure exists in most cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. In rare cases, mesothelioma has also been association with irradiation, intrapleural thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), and inhalation of other fibrous silicates, such as erionite. Some studies suggest that simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma. This has been confirmed in animal studies, but studies in humans are inconclusive.

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Risk Factors

What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma?

There are several risk factors that increase the likelihood that a person will develop mesothelioma. The primary risk factor is asbestos exposure. Exposure to this very harmful substance can significantly enhance the chances of contracting the disease. Smoking does not have a direct causal relationship with mesothelioma but is a significant compounding factor and increases the chances of developing the disease. Other less common secondary factors include exposure to radiation, zeolite, simian virus 40 (SV40) and erionite. We discuss each of these risk factors in more detail below. Please click on the links to learn more about each mesothelioma risk factor.

Exposure to Asbestos

Exposure to asbestos is the leading risk factor associated with mesothelioma. Asbestos is an insulating material comprised of magnesium-silicate mineral fibers. It was favored by builders and contractors for many years for its low heat conductivity and resistance to melting and burning. Since researchers have identified more and more links between mesothelioma and exposure to asbestos, the material is now less widely used. Prior to this discovery, however, millions of Americans have experienced serious exposure to this harmful substance.

Smoking and Mesothelioma

Smoking alone is not linked to mesothelioma, but smokers who are exposed to asbestos have a much higher chance of developing asbestos lung cancer (as much as fifty to ninety percent higher) and as much as double the risk of developing mesothelioma.

Less Common Mesothelioma Risk Factors

Radiation

Thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), a substance used in x-ray tests in the past has reported links to pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma. The use of Thorotrast has been discontinued for many years due to this discovery.

Zeolite

Some mesothelioma cases in the Anatoli region within Turkey have been linked to Zeolite, a silica based mineral with chemical properties similar to asbestos found in the soil there.

Simian Virus 40 (SV40)

Some scientists have found the simian virus 40 (SV30) in mesothelioma cells from humans and have been able to create mesothelioma in animals with the virus. The relationship between this virus and mesothelioma is still unclear, however, and further research is being conducted to gain clarity on this potential link.

Erionite Exposure

Erionite is a naturally occurring mineral that possesses properties that are very similar to those of asbestos. There have been several documented cases of mesothelioma in indivuduals living near large erionite deposits.

Carbon Nanotubes

Researchers continue to evaluate nanotube exposure as a possible risk factor for mesothelioma even though scientists have not expressed immediate concern.

Source http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/risk-factors/

Smoking and Mesothelioma

It has long been known that smoking is hazardous to one's health, causing a marked increase in instances of mesothelioma lung cancer among those who smoke regularly. However, smokers who are or have been exposed to asbestos carry a much higher risk of developing an even more serious disease - malignant mesothelioma, a difficult-to-treat cancer that affects the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), heart (pericardial mesothelioma), or abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma).

Exposure to asbestos has been identified as the major cause of mesothelioma cancer. The disease occurs when an individual inhales sharp asbestos fibers, which then become lodged in the lungs. Smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control, weakens the lungs and decreases a body's ability to remove asbestos fibers. Further, cigarette smoke irritates the air passages and causes them to produce more mucus which, in turn, blocks the passage of air and the dispelling of fibers.

According to a variety of studies that have been performed throughout the last two decades, while cigarette smoking alone does not lead to mesothelioma, cigarette smokers who are exposed to asbestos are about 50 to 84 times more likely to develop asbestos lung cancer and, most experts agree, these smokers are at least twice as likely to develop mesothelioma.

Furthermore, mesothelioma risk factors are higher for those who have already developed a less serious asbestos-related disease, namely asbestosis. Also, the more packs a day that an asbestosis sufferer smokes, the higher the chance for developing this aggressive cancer. Simply stated, those who have asbestosis should stop smoking. A cessation of smoking, according to studies by the National Cancer Institute, results in a 50 percent decrease in the risk for a mesothelioma diagnosis within about five years of quitting, a figure that is encouraging for smokers with early asbestos disease.

Smokers who have been exposed to asbestos and have not quit should submit to regular medical check-ups to determine the health of their lungs. Tests to monitor the formation of asbestos cancer, such as mesothelioma, might include a chest x-ray or a lung function test. In addition, a simple blood test known as the Mismark® assay, used to detect the presence of mesothelioma, may be in order for smokers who suffered asbestos exposure.

Source http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/risk-factors/smoking.htm

Exposure To Asbestos

Exposure to asbestos particles is one of the principal causes of mesothelioma cancer, also known as asbestos cancer. As a naturally occurring mineral with useful commercial applications, asbestos is found in plumbing, insulation and other building materials and products.

Through the liberal commercial use of this material, most people in the United States and other industrial nations have been or will be exposed to loose, airborne particles in their work or home environments, this exposure can create significant health hazards.

Commercial Applications

Over 700,000 schools and buildings in the United States today contain asbestos insulation as reported by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Asbestos exposure doesn't stop there, however. Asbestos is often found in ship yards, manufacturing facilities, railway facilities and construction sites. Blue collar workers are at the highest risk for developing mesothelioma due to occupational exposure. They typically work in aluminum plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, mines, factories, shipyards, construction sites and railroads. Employees at insulation and gas mask manufacturing facilities are also at risk. The occupations most widely affected are miners, factory workers, railroad workers, ship builders and construction workers - especially those who install asbestos-containing insulation. Sometimes family members related to the workers receive second hand exposure to asbestos from the dust and fibers that were brought home on the workers clothes and also become at risk for contracting mesothelioma.

There are six different types of asbestos: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. These six mineral types are divided into two classifications, serpentine and amphibole. Chrysotile is the only mineral in the serpentine class. As known carcinogens both classes of asbestos can cause mesothelioma.

In the United States, chrysotile was the most commonly used asbestos mineral, and is known for its curly fibers that can be easily woven into fabrics. Applications of chrysotile include drywall compound, plaster, vinyl floor tiles, roofing materials, acoustic ceilings, fireproofing, caulk, brake pads and shoes, stage curtains, fire blankets and dental cast linings.

Amosite and crocidolite are the other more common asbestos minerals used, though their application is not as extensive as chrysotile. Products manufactured out of these asbestos minerals include insulation board, ceiling tiles and casing for water services.

In the past ten years, trace amounts of asbestos have been found in talc, a leading ingredient in crayons.

Exposure and Health Risks

The extensive use of asbestos across many different industries exposes not only those individuals working in the manufacturing of raw asbestos or working with asbestos-related products, but also individuals who may have asbestos in their homes, churches or schools. Further, asbestos particles may cling to the clothing or hair of an individual working with asbestos and potentially contaminate others.

Though chrysotile is the most common form of asbestos used in products and is a known carcinogen, amosite and crocidolite asbestos are the most hazardous to health. All types of asbestos can linger in an individual’s lungs for many years after exposure, but amosite and crocidolite are the most persistent, lingering particles.

There is a higher risk for individuals working in asbestos-related environments, though many individuals with minimal exposure can also have damage that can lead to mesothelioma cancer or other diseases.

Although asbestos exposure may have hit its peak from the turn of the twentieth century through the 1970s, many individuals are still being subjected to asbestos particles. Arguably, the most recent and tragic mass exposure resulted from the attacks on 9/11, where tons of asbestos particles were released into the air, harming thousands of rescue workers and individuals living near Ground Zero. Diagnosed with asbestos cancer due to their prolonged, persistent exposure, many brave firefighters, police and rescue workers continue to suffer.

Further, many individuals continue to be exposed to asbestos in older homes. With the boom of Do-It-Yourself projects, many homeowners are tackling renovations without knowing the potential health risks. Attempting renovations in these environments may disturb asbestos causing it to become airborne and inhaled. Without knowledge of where asbestos may be located in these homes, there is a significant risk of accidental exposure, and any homeowner should have professional do a thorough inspection before any projects begin. Removal should always be handled by a professional contractor and should not be attempted by homeowners.

One of the groups hardest hit from asbestos-related diseases are America’s veterans. All branches of the United States military used equipment, gear and products laden with asbestos, unwittingly exposing young men and women between the 1940s and late 1970s. Most veterans repeatedly exposed to asbestos suffer from mesothelioma disease.

For over one hundred years, almost every product that we can come in contact with may have been produced with asbestos components. From decorative household items, to products manufactured to protect firefighters, to dental products, asbestos has been the silent, deadly part of recent American industry.

Asbestos Related Disease

Some research points to the fact that inhaled asbestos fibers cause a physical irritation resulting in mesothelioma rather than the cancer being caused by a reaction that is more chemical in nature. As fibers are inhaled through the mouth and nose they are cleared from the body by adhering to mucus in the nose, throat and airways and then get expelled by coughing or swallowing. The Amphibole fibers (long and thin) do not clear as easily and it is therefore thought that they can embed into the lining of the lungs, chest or stomach causing scarring and inflammation which increases the risk for mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma symptoms can be detected as early as ten years after exposure and can incubate as long as forty years.

Asbestosis (scar tissue in the lungs) or mesothelioma lung cancer can also be caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. In fact, people exposed to asbestos are seven times more likely to develop lung cancer over the general public. Workers who sustain high levels of asbestos exposure are more likely to die from asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma than any other disease. It is also believed that the action of coughing up and swallowing asbestos could contribute to a form of mesothelioma originating in the abdomen called peritoneal mesothelioma. This disease has been found to exist in other organs of the body as well such as the larynx, pancreas and colon, but those instances are extremely limited compared to lung cancer incidents.

The chance of developing mesothelioma is in direct proportion to the duration and amount of asbestos exposure that an individual sustains. Those who are exposed to high levels of asbestos at a young age, for long periods of time have a greater risk of being diagnosed with mesothelioma than those who have short, low level exposure. Another important consideration is that the mesothelioma latency period is very long. Often, twenty to forty years can elapse from the time of exposure to diagnosis. Genetic factors can also play a role which explains why not everyone exposed to asbestos develops an asbestos related disease.

Source http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/risk-factors/asbestos-exposure.htm

Mesothelioma Causes

What Causes Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, a thin membrane encompassing the body’s internal organs and cavities. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers that are inhaled through the mouth and nose may eventually become embedded in the lining of the lungs, causing harmful inflammation of the pleura and resulting in mesothelioma or asbestosis (scar tissue formation in the lungs). It has also been found that swallowing asbestos fibers could contribute to a form of the malignancy originating in the abdomen known as peritoneal mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma generally results from occupational asbestos exposure, but there are instances of environmental exposure that can also cause the disease. Oftentimes a family member can be affected indirectly by second hand exposure from an asbestos worker’s soiled work clothes.

Asbestos was an effective insulation material. It was used liberally in commercial and industrial products in the United States until being regulated in a joint effort between the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989. Occupational exposure was common among workers who encountered these products in many industries including shipbuilding, power plants, and other industrial settings.

Asbestos insulation workers appear to have the highest rate of asbestos related disease. One study reports that almost six percent of asbestos workers fall victim to mesothelioma or experience respiratory symptoms. Asbestos insulation workers are over 300 times more likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma than those with no exposure history.

How does exposure to asbestos cause mesothelioma?

Asbestos fibers are microscopic, though they are also quite durable. For this reason, asbestos was used in a number of different industrial compounds to enhance strength and resistance to temperature extremes- two properties at which the mineral is highly adept. Asbestos exposure most often occurred among individuals who worked extensively with asbestos or asbestos-containing materials. Friable asbestos (meaning loose or airborne fibers) is easily inhaled- often without the exposed person realizing.

When inhaled, asbestos lodges easily in the outer lung tissue and within the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a thin membrane of cells which produces a lubricating fluid on the surface of the organs. This lubricant allows the lung and other internal structures to expand, contract, and move freely without friction in the body cavity. There is a great deal of latency associated with mesotheliomabetween exposure to asbestos and the onset of symptoms.

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common variety of the disease and forms on the pleural membrane, which surrounds the lung and chest cavity. Peritoneal mesothelioma is less common and forms on the surface of the peritoneum, a thin membrane surrounding the abdominal cavity. Pericardial mesothelioma is the least common variety of the disease and forms in the cardiac cavity that envelops the heart, a mesothelial membrane known as the pericardium.

Inhaled asbestos fibers are known to be the cause of pleural mesothelioma, whereas ingested asbestos fibers are the cause of peritoneal mesothelioma. While the exact causal nature between asbestos and pericardial mesothelioma is not known, physicians and cancer researchers surmise asbestos fibers in the blood stream lodge in the outer layers of the heart’s ventricles and lodge in the pericardium. Once asbestos fibers reach the surface of the peritoneum or pericardium, the inflammation process is essentially the same as it is on the surface of the pleura.

Primary workplace exposure to the mineral was common in naval shipyards, power plants, railroad infrastructure, and other industrial jobsites. However, asbestos-related mesotheliomas have also been diagnosed in spouses or children of those exposed to asbestos. Workers often brought home dangerous asbestos fibers on their clothing, hair, or person. Those who came into contact with these fibers on the person or their clothing have developed mesothelioma as a result.

Other Contributing Factors

Mesothelioma is also causally associated with a few other factors, but many of these are attributed to the development of mesothelioma in conjunction with exposure to asbestos.

Smoking

Those who smoke are at a higher risk of mesothelioma, though smoking is more commonly associated with traditional lung carcinomas. Smoking tends to enhance risk even further in those who were also exposed to asbestos.

Radiation Exposure

While extremely rare, some mesothelioma patients attribute their diagnosis to exposure to radiation rather than exposure to asbestos. Radiation tends to transform and mutate cell growth patterns and is more commonly associated with brain and blood cancers.

Carbon Nanotubes

Research is extremely preliminary in this study, but some laboratory studies indicate a molecular similarity between asbestos mineral fibers and carbon nanotubes. Tests indicate a pronounced risk of mesothelioma in some laboratory animals implanted with carbon nanotubes.

Source http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/causes/