Mesothelioma Cause
The main cause for malignant mesothelioma is contact with asbestos. When a person breathes in asbestos fibers, they can travel to the ends of the small air passages and reach the lining of the lungs. After time, they can damage the mesothelial cells (the lining of the lung cells). If swallowed, these fibers can reach the lining of the abdominal cavity where they play a part in causing peritoneal mesothelioma.
At some point in our lives, nearly all of us have been exposed to asbestos in the air we breathe and the water we drink; from natural deposits in the earth, and from the deterioration of asbestos products around us. Most of us, however, do not become ill as a result of our exposure. More commonly, those who at some point are diagnosed with asbestos disease have worked in jobs where more substantial exposure occurred over longer periods of time. Nevertheless, cases of mesothelioma have been documented as the result of lesser exposure, affecting family members of workers who came into contact with asbestos and brought it home on their clothing, skin or hair, or affecting those who lived in close proximity to asbestos manufacturing facilities. Symptoms of asbestos disease usually are not being apparent until decades after exposure.
Before the 1980s, asbestos was imported to the UK in large quantities. It was used in construction, ship-building and in household appliances. When asbestos is disturbed or damaged, it releases tiny fibres that can be breathed into the lungs and cause inflammation, a build-up of scar tissue (fibrosis) and sometimes cancer.
Exposure for as little as 1 to 2 months can result in mesothelioma 40 years later. There are about 2,000-3,000 new mesothelioma cases diagnosed per year in this country. Most people who get mesothelioma are over 65 years old. Men are much more likely than women to get this disease.
Asbestos is the fibrous form of several minerals and hydrous silicates of magnesium found under ground. There are 3 types of asbestos, the blue one, the while one and the brown one. Of all these 3 types, the blue one also called amphibole, long and thin in structure is more carcinogenic than white or chrysolite asbestos or the brown one known as amosite.
Some of the jobs in which people have been exposed to asbestos directly or indirectly are those that involve factory work, demolition, insulation, shipbuilding, carpentry, installation of brake linings in vehicles, and many others. Despite rigorous efforts to eliminate asbestos from our environment, some public and private buildings still contain asbestos today. Personnel who remove asbestos from such structures or work around asbestos are required to wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure. Until the 1980’s, when it was banned due to its health dangers, it had been used in many industrial and insulation materials as a fire retardant.
Today, exposure to asbestos is highly regulated. Those who must work with it are protected by approved equipment to minimize their exposure to this dangerous mineral.
