Mesothelioma: True Causes

The relationship between mesotheliomas and asbrstos was first reported in by Wagner and colleagues in 1960. After that time, this relationship has been confirmed by other reliable reports.

Asbestos touches on six naturally occurring minerals with prospicient fibers, including chrysotile, ammonite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. There is a long reaction time period between the exposure and the development of mesothelioma, which is generally between 30 – 40 years.

Industrial exposure to asbestos increased significantly during the world war II when there was a dramatic need for manufacturing requiring asbestos-related products. Asbestos is widely used for industrial purposes in more than 3,500 diverse products because of its tensile strength, thermal resistance, and chemical stability.

Its primary uses are in cement pipes and construction products such as flooring, roofing, insulation, tiles, packing and gaskets, electrical products, friction products, and coatings.

In the United States, occupational exposure is limited to not more than two fibers (0.5um in length) in 0.5 Cm3 of air in an eight-hour period. It is expected that this regulation will significantly decrease the future incidence of mesothelioma.

Roughly 70% of patients have had exposure. In addition Para-occupational exposure by household members and persons living downwind of factories or mines may account for 8% to 20% of cases. The risk of mesothelioma is increased 40-fold for insulation workers and threefold to tenfold for construction and shipyard workers. Cigarette smoking does not increase the risk of mesothelioma, but the combination of cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure markedly increase the risk of lung cancer.

Pleural mesotheliomas are much more common in men, whereas peritoneal mesotheliomas are about equal in frequency between the sexes. Asbestos fibers are thought to reach the peritoneum via the pleural lymphatics.

Mesothelioma: What You Need To Know

Mesotheliomas are benign and malignant tumors derived from mesothelial tissues or serosa. They may originate from the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium, and other miscellaneous serosal surfaces. Although the skin is considered to be the body’s largest organ, the serosa is actually many times greater in overall area.

Mesotheliomas are relatively rare. There are about 1,200 new cases in the United States each year. This represents less than 1% of all pulmonary cancers. However, their incidence is rising, and it is estimated that there may be as many as 5,000 by the year 2010.The increased incidence is clearly related to increased exposure to asbestos, which occurred after 1940

Cancerous mesothelioma is an uncommon type of cancer that is found in the layer of cells lining the internal organs of the body. As I write, there are three recognized types of mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma: Of the three recognized mesothelioma cancer, pleural mesothelioma is the common form of the ailment. It accounts for about 70% of reported cases and it takes place in the lining of the lung.

Peritoneal mesothelioma: Occurs in the lining of the abdominal cavity known as peritoneum.

Pericardial mesothelioma: This kind starts in peridardial lining the heart.

The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, secondary causes like smoking combined with exposure asbestos can accelerate it in some individuals. Industrial and factory workers are among the most vulnerable class of people to mesothelioma because by the nature of their jobs are more exposed to it.

Symptoms of mesothelioma will only be recognized after many years in those who have been exposed. The reason being that mesothelioma grows very slowly. There are folks right now that are carriers of mesothlioma that are unaware, but in due cause it will made known.