Risk Factors of Mesothelioma

Feb 24, 2011 by ezyplan

Risk factors include a variety of elements, which can be environmental, occupational, or genetic. Lifestyle choices and pharmaceutical substances may also fall into this category. However, many people who might have several risk factors pointing to the development of cancer, never develop the condition. Mesothelioma is a very rare type of cancer linked primarily to asbestos exposure.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma attacks the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the protective lining of organs such as lungs, abdomen, chest, and other internal organs. Asbestos is a mineral silicate which naturally occurs in the environment, and was used extensively in construction, automotive and fire resistant materials, especially throughout the 20th Century. Today, the use of this type of silicate is prohibited by the Environmental Protection Agency. Since 1989, the use of asbestos has been outlawed in the U.S.

Despite this regulation, mesothelioma still affects as many as 8 million people in the United States, including as many as 3,000 new cases per year. These individuals had dangerous levels of exposure to asbestos. While there has been a decrease in the diagnosis of males, the number of females exposed has remained stable. This is an indication that this type of cancer occurs in other environments or settings.

Some occupations have higher risks of asbestos exposure than others, such as miners, construction workers, factory workers, demolition workers, railroad workers, and veterans of branches of the military, including the Navy. Ship disassembling workers and building workers are also at high risk. Mesothelioma sometimes affects the families of these workers, due to the possibility of carrying the asbestos fibers from work, on the clothing and hair.

Today, as many as 15 percent of school buildings in the USA may contain asbestos. Other public buildings are estimated to contain it as well, according to the EPA significant findings.

Effects in the Respiratory System

Asbestos fibers are made from silicates. These fibers can be inhaled and spread throughout the respiratory system. Asbestos fibers can be swallowed as well, affecting the abdomen’s inner lining. This condition is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. When asbestos fibers reach the lungs, they can penetrate the lining and the inner surface of the chest area.