What Causes Mesothelioma Article
Causes of Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is rare. Except for a few cases, mesothelioma is caused by
exposure to asbestos. Although there are other rare causes, they remain
poorly understood.
Mesothelioma affects the mesothelial lining of the lungs, and abdominal
cavity and very rarely the pericardium. In Archives, mesothelioma has
been recorded way back in 1870.
Asbestos exposure in not only the major cause but it is the only one we
know about. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. It was used
widely in construction, shipbuilding and industry in general because of
its fire resistant properties. The main manufacturers of asbestos are
Canada, Russia and China. Regulation on the use of asbestos came into
force in the USA in the 1970s.
There are three types of asbestos, crocidolite (blue), amosite (brown)
and chrysolite (white). Although exposure to all three is dangerous,
the blue and brown varieties are considered most harmful.
Inhaling or swallowing the asbestos dust may result in the
mesothelioma. The fibres are very fine and when inhaled, reach the
alveoli of the lungs. From there it gravitates to the pleura, the
lining of the lung. Similarly when swallowed, asbestos fibres slowly
make their way to the peritoneum, the abdominal wall lining. In these
areas, asbestos fibres cause inflammation.
It is recognised that most of us have inhaled asbestos fibres at some
time in our lives but we will not all develop mesothelioma. Who will
develop mesothelioma still remains an unanswered question in medical
research. We do know, however, that the greater the asbestos exposure
and duration of exposure, the greater the risk of developing
mesothelioma.
In the USA roughly 2000 new cases are recognised every year and in the
UK about 1,700. Mesothelioma is slow to develop and can take between 20
to 50 years following exposure to asbestos for it to develop. It most
often develops in the 60+ age group. It is estimated that for every
twelve cases of pleural (lung) mesothelioma, there is one peritoneal
(abdominal) mesothelioma.
Patients with mesothelioma first develop tiredness, weight loss,
shortness of breath and chest pains. Usually when it is diagnosed, it
is in an established stage
