Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure

People who use asbestos-containing products are at risk of ingesting asbestos fibers. The fibers penetrate the wall of the abdomen and chest cavity and are also known as the pleura, or the peritoneum.

Exposure to asbestos can increase the chance of developing malignant pleural mesothelioma or peritoneal cancer over the course of your life. Although the risk is believed to decrease after 40 years, asbestos exposure of any kind is a risk.

Age

The older a person gets at the time of exposure, the more likely they are to develop mesothelioma. Mesothelioma can affect the mesothelium, a thin layer surrounding the major organs of the body. The cancerous cells are malignant, meaning they expand beyond control and cause tumors. Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in people who were exposed to asbestos, either through their own work or as a family member of someone who was exposed to it.

Exposure to asbestos can trigger mesothelioma as it causes irritation to the mesothelium. The lung's lining (pleura) is most affected in people with mesothelioma pleural, but it can also affect the lining of the abdomen and peritoneum as well as the lining of the heart (pericardium).

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, is durable and heat-resistant. It was utilized for construction as insulation, construction, and other industrial purposes up to the 1980s. In this time many millions of Americans were exposed to asbestos because of their jobs or by being close to an exposed loved one.

When asbestos is disturbed, it releases fibers into the air. They are too hard for the body's systems to break them into pieces or process. The fibers can cause irritation and cancer in the lungs if they get stuck.

Mesothelioma symptoms are typically not likely to appear until decades after asbestos exposure. The symptoms are similar with other cancers, and may be fatal without treatment.

Men are more likely to be affected by mesothelioma than females. It is also diagnosed most often in people older than 45. Shipbuilders, miners, railroad workers, and others who installed or handled asbestos-containing products are at the most risk of developing mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure in the workplace. The asbestos on the clothing of these workers can put their family members at risk.

Smoking

The longer an individual is exposed to asbestos, the higher their risk of developing mesothelioma. This is due to the long time of latency that can last between 20 and 60 years from first exposure to diagnosis. Depending on the kind of asbestos, a patient's mesothelioma can occur in various regions of the body. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the lining between the lung cavity and chest wall (the pleura). Peritoneal Mesothelioma can be found in the lining of the abdomen, also known as the peritoneum.

Most often, those who have been exposed develop mesothelioma in the chest or lungs. The most at risk are those working in shipbuilding, power generation and construction. However, mesothelioma may develop in individuals who were exposed to asbestos in their homes or at school. This is due to the fact that children and spouses of workers who were exposed to asbestos may bring the fibers home on their clothes, skin and hair, which can put them at risk as well.

Mesothelioma patients are usually white and older than 65. They are also more likely to hold a blue-collar position or military history. The United States Navy and other branches of the military utilized asbestos litigation extensively due to its ability to withstand flames. millions of veterans may have been exposed to it.

When DNA mutations occur, they can cause cells to grow uncontrolled. This may lead to development of tumors that eventually develop into mesothelioma. The disease can affect any part of the body, but most often it occurs in the chest or abdomen.

Smoking causes mesothelioma however it increases your risk by increasing the amount of asbestos you breathe. Anyone who has been exposed asbestos should quit smoking.

Furthermore, a person's mesothelioma treatment program should include an experienced doctor who is knowledgeable about asbestos exposure and the risk factors that can cause this cancer. A mesothelioma specialist can help determine the best treatment for this rare cancer. The doctor can determine if the patient is eligible for immunotherapy or experimental treatments.

Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, is used in a variety of items like flooring, roofing and insulation. Workers who handle, make or work on asbestos-containing products are at high risk for exposure. Exposure to asbestos litigation fibers in the air can cause illness and cancer.

Many asbestos-related diseases aren't discovered until it's too late due to a long latency period between exposure and the development of symptoms. Mesothelioma is the most deadly asbestos-related illness. The symptoms of mesothelioma may develop between 20 and 60 years after asbestos exposure.

The most common way people are exposed to asbestos is through occupational exposure. Any job that involves asbestos handling or usage include those in manufacturing, construction, automotive mechanics, and electrical. Some people are also exposed by their home activities like smoking or renovating older homes that contain asbestos.

Inhalation of asbestos is the most common mesothelioma causing agent. Asbestos fibers that are inhaled can enter the lungs and irritate the lining called the pleura. This irritation leads to the formation of thickened patches on the pleura (pleural plaques) and fibrosis of the lungs. As the disease progresses, it could cause fluid accumulation in the chest cavity (pleural effusion) and eventually lung cancer. Mesothelioma may also affect the tissues of other organs, such as the heart or abdomen.

People who are exposed to asbestos legal at work are at the highest chance of developing mesothelioma. However, people with an ancestor with mesothelioma, or other asbestos-related illnesses, are also at risk. The risk of asbestos exposure is increased if a person has worked in more than one job in the course of their lives. Smoking can increase the risk of mesothelioma, but it can worsen the disease for those already diagnosed. If you have an history of exposure to asbestos and experience mesothelioma quitting smoking can help you live longer and improve your treatment outcome. Inform your doctor if have been exposed to asbestos or have any new symptoms, like abdominal pain or a shortness of breathe. They may prescribe medication or perform surgery to treat the disease.

Genetics

Many cancers are genetically related and a person's genes may increase the likelihood of getting a particular disease. Mesothelioma, however, does not have a genetic component. Exposure to asbestos is the primary factor.

Asbestos fibers enter the body through inhalation or swallowed and sticking to the lining of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum) or around the heart (the pericardium). As time passes these fibers that are loose can cause damage or alteration to the cells that make up these linings. This can lead to mesothelioma's development.

However, mesothelioma does not affect everyone who is exposed. Researchers believe that other factors can affect the likelihood of developing mesothelioma after asbestos exposure. This includes the person's gender, age, gender, family history of mesothelioma, and other diseases, as well as any additional risk factors like smoking.

Men are more likely than women to develop mesothelioma. This may be because more males than females were directly exposed to asbestos at work. Mesothelioma is a cancer that can develop between 20 and 60 year after the first exposure to asbestos.

A defective gene is a further risk factor for mesothelioma. In the study of two families with high mesothelioma risk researchers found that nearly all members of the family had a defective gene on their short arm chromosome 3 This gene is called BAP 1 and regulates how calcium moves through cells. A defect in the gene causes disruption to this process which causes calcium levels to decrease. This enables asbestos to transform healthy cells into cancerous ones and cause mesothelioma.

In addition the mutated gene within a person's immune system can increase the risk of developing mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos. People who have this mutation have a lower level of white blood cells which are the cells that fight off cancerous cells.

The kind of asbestos to which an individual was exposed and the work they performed can also increase a person's risk of developing mesothelioma. The polio vaccine that was given to children between 1940 and 1950, can also increase a person's mesothelioma risk by exposed to the cancer-causing SV40.