Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure
People who use asbestos-containing products are at risk of ingesting asbestos fibers. The fibers penetrate the tissue of the chest cavity and abdomen which is also known as the pleura, or peritoneum.
Exposure to asbestos can increase the chance of developing malignant pleural mesothelioma, or peritoneal cancer throughout your lifetime. Although the risk appears to diminish after 40 years, asbestos exposure of any kind is a risk.
Age
The older a person is when exposed, the higher the chance of developing mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium, a thin layer of tissue that surrounds major organs in the body. The cancerous cells are malignant. This means that they grow out of control and form tumors. Mesothelioma is most often seen in people who have been exposed to asbestos. This could be due to their work or by being a close family member.
Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma due to irritation of the mesothelium. Pleural mesothelioma is most commonly found in the linings of the lungs however, it may also affect the abdomen's lining, peritoneum and the lining of the heart.
asbestos legal (
redirected here) is a naturally occurring mineral is extremely durable and heat-resistant. It was used for construction as well as insulation and other industrial purposes until the 1980s. In this time millions of Americans were exposed to asbestos as a result of their work or being close to a loved one.
When asbestos is disturbed, it releases fibers in the air. They are too tough for the body's system to break them down or process. The fibers could become stuck in the lungs and cause irritation that leads to cancer.
The symptoms of mesothelioma typically do not manifest for a long time after asbestos exposure. The symptoms are similar to other cancers, and may be fatal if not treated.
Men are more likely to be affected by mesothelioma more than women. It is also diagnosed most often for those who are older than 45. Shipbuilders, miners, railroad workers, and those who installed or handled asbestos-containing products are at the highest risk of developing mesothelioma thanks to workplace asbestos exposure. The
asbestos lawyer on the clothing of these workers can put their family members at risk.
Smoking
A person's chances of getting mesothelioma rises the longer they are exposed to asbestos. This is due to the lengthy latency time that can range between 20 and 60 years from first exposure until diagnosis. Mesothelioma can occur in different parts of the body depending on the type and amount of asbestos present. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the lining between the lung cavity and the chest wall (the pleura). Peritoneal mesothelioma forms in the abdominal lining, called the peritoneum.
Most often, people who have been exposed develop mesothelioma that affects the chest or the lungs. People who worked in the power generation, shipbuilding and construction sectors are the most at risk. However, mesothelioma is also able to develop in people who were exposed to asbestos at home or in school. This is because children and spouses of workers who were exposed to asbestos could carry the asbestos fibers home on their clothes hair, skin and even their hair which can put them at risk of developing the disease.
Mesothelioma patients are usually white and older than 65. They are more likely to have an occupation that was blue collar or a military background. Asbestos was widely used by the United States Navy and other branches in the military due to its flame-resistant qualities. Millions of veterans were exposed to asbestos.
Mesothelioma can form when DNA of an individual undergoes mutations which cause cells to multiply without control. This causes the development of tumors, which eventually turn into mesothelioma. The disease can affect any part of the body, but typically, it is found in the abdomen or chest.
Smoking cigarettes does not cause mesothelioma. However, it increases the risk of getting this cancer by increasing the amount of asbestos that one breathes. Therefore, anyone who has been exposed to asbestos should consider quitting smoking.
The treatment plan of a patient with mesothelioma should also include a physician who is knowledgeable about asbestos exposure and risk factors. A specialist in mesothelioma who is knowledgeable to assist them determine the best approach to treat this rare cancer. The doctor can determine if the patient is eligible for immunotherapy or other experimental treatments.
Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos is a natural mineral that is used in a variety of different products including flooring, insulation, roofing and flooring. Workers who handle asbestos-containing materials make them, or manufacture them, or work with them are at a greater chance of being exposed. Exposure to loose asbestos fibers can lead to breathing them into the lungs, which can cause illness and cancer.
There is a long time of latency between the exposure to asbestos and the onset of symptoms which makes it difficult to diagnose many asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is the most deadly asbestos disease. Mesothelioma symptoms can manifest between 20 and 60 years after asbestos exposure.
The most frequent way in which people are exposed. All jobs that require asbestos handling or use, including those in manufacturing, construction automobile mechanics, construction, and electrical. The risk of exposure to asbestos is also present by their home activities such as smoking or renovating older homes that have asbestos.
Most mesothelioma cases result by asbestos inhalation. Inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to the lung, where they can cause irritation to a lining called pleura. This irritation causes the development of thickened pleura patches (pleural plaques) and fibrosis of the lungs. As the disease progresses, it can lead to fluid accumulation in the chest cavity (pleural effusion) and eventually lung cancer. Mesothelioma can also affect the tissue of other organs such as the abdomen and the heart.
People who are exposed to asbestos in their work are at the highest risk for developing mesothelioma. However, people with the family history of mesothelioma or any other
asbestos claim-related diseases are at risk as well. The risk of exposure to asbestos is higher if one has had more than one job over the course of their lives. Smoking does increase the risk of mesothelioma but it can worsen the condition for those who are already diagnosed. Quitting smoking cigarettes is beneficial if you have had a history of asbestos exposure and suffer from mesothelioma. It can also allow you to live longer, and improve the results of your treatment. It is essential to inform your doctor about your exposure to asbestos and any new symptoms, such as breathlessness or abdominal pain, because they can treat the condition by undergoing surgery or medication.
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. Instead asbestos exposure is the main cause.
Asbestos fibers enter the body through inhalation or swallowed, and then clinging to the lining of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum) or around the heart (the pericardium). Over time, these loose fibers can damage or mutate the cells that compose these small linings, which can lead to mesothelioma development.
However, mesothelioma may not affect every person who is exposed. Researchers believe that other factors can affect whether a person gets mesothelioma from asbestos exposure. This could include a person's age and gender as well as their family history of mesothelioma and other illnesses, and whether they have other risk factors such as smoking.
Men are more likely than women to develop mesothelioma. This is due to the fact that more men than women 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.
Another risk factor for mesothelioma is having a defective gene. In a study that looked at two families with high rates of mesothelioma cancer, researchers found that nearly everyone in the family was affected by a defective gene on their short arm of chromosome 3. This gene is called BAP 1 and regulates the way calcium moves within cells. A faulty gene disrupts this process which causes calcium levels to fall. This allows asbestos to mutate healthy cells into cancerous ones and trigger mesothelioma.
A gene that is mutated can increase the risk of developing mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure. The mutation results in the loss of white blood cells. These cells are responsible for fighting cancerous cells.
Other factors that can raise a person's chance of mesothelioma include the type of asbestos they were exposed to as well as their work. The polio vaccine, which was administered to children between 1940 and 1950, can also increase a person's risk of developing mesothelioma through exposed to the cancer-causing SV40.
