Asbestos and Mesothelioma

Asbestos and mesothelioma, whats the link?

Mesothelioma has been in the public eye more and more as advertisements for care and legal representation related to the disease have popped up more and more. What used to be a rare and little known disease is much more well recognized today.

What causes any specific cancer in any one particular patient varies quite a bit and in most cases is related to many different factors including genetics, environmental factors, diet and nutrition, habits (such as smoking) and others. However, asbestos and mesothelioma are about as tied together as any factor can be with a cancer. Exposure to asbestos has a very strong association with risk for the development of mesothelioma cancer... so much so that mesothelioma is sometimes referred to as "asbestos cancer".

What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a natural occuring silicate mineral. It forms long, insoluble fibers. For years, these fibers were used in many forms of acoustic and thermal insulation. They could be found in duct insulation, acoustic ("popcorn") ceilings, linoleum and other materials. Since the late 70's to early 80's use of asbestos in commercial products has been outlawed because of its health risks. Most asbestos in insulation is not free to float around and be inhaled or injested. Therefore, the people who typically had the largest exposure to the toxic mineral were those who had some occupational exposure to asbestos, for example, people who worked in factories which produced asbestos-containing products. These individuals could have been exposed to large amounts of asbestos over a long time.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma:
After years of asbestos use, it was eventually recognized that some forms of asbestos were potentially harmful and were associated with various illnesses. Primarily, inhalation of asbestos fibers, usually in the form of a fine dust, into the lungs leaves the fibers in the lung tissues and can cause injury. The fibers cannot be destroyed or broken down by the body. Various respiratory diseases have been associated with these fibers in the lungs.

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor of mesothelium, membranes lining the body cavities, most notably the chest cavities (the pleura around the lungs and the pericardium around the heart) and the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum).

Mesothelioma cancer is rare amongst individuals who have not been exposed to asbestos or who have had only small exposures, although occasional cases have been documented. More commonly asbestos and mesothelioma are tightly linked. The greatest risk for this form of cancer is in individuals who have had significant prior exposure to asbestos, particularly those with repeated occupational exposure. The cancer develops over years and often does not present until many years or even decades after the exposure.

While pleural mesothelioma is the most common location for the cancer to develop, it can also affect the peritoneal cavity and very rarely the pericardium or testes.

While asbestos and mesothelioma have the strongest linkage and asbestos is considered the most important risk factor for development of the cancer, there are probably other risk factors which may contribute to mesothelioma. Smoking greatly increases the risk of mesothelioma in individuals who have been exposed to asbestos. Other risks include some viruses, radiation exposure of some types and a family history of mesothelioma.