CAUSES OF MESOTHELIOMA

Causes of mesothelioma are quite clear in up to 9 out of 10 cases. This deadly disease is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a natural mineral, mined from rock found in many countries. It is made up of tiny fibers that are as strong as steel but can be woven like cotton and are highly resistant to heat and chemicals and used in great masses in the United States until very recently. Before the 1980s, Asbestos was imported to the UK in large quantities. It was used in construction, ship-building and in household appliances; even in the lining of the brakes on your car. When asbestos is disturbed or damaged, it releases tiny fibers that can be breathed into the lungs and cause inflammation, a build-up of scar tissue and sometimes cancer.

During the 1960s the first definite link between mesothelioma and asbestos was made. asbestos is now known to be the most common cause of the disease. asbestos was very widely used in insulation materials and building materials, including asbestos cement. Asbestos fibers are very fine and if they are inhaled they can make their way into the smallest airways or the lining of the lung, so they cannot be breathed or coughed out. Once the fibers are in the lungs the body’s defense mechanism tries to break them down and remove them, which leads to inflammation in the lung tissue. The asbestos fibers can also penetrate through the lung tissue to settle in the pleura which is the lining around the lungs. Over many years they can cause mesothelioma or other lung diseases to develop.

The asbestos fibers can also be swallowed, and some of the fibers can stick in the digestive system. They can then move into the membrane that lines the abdomen where they cause inflammation. Mesothelioma does not usually give way to symptoms for up to 50 years after exposure to asbestos and for this reason it is often difficult to discover the exact causes of mesothelioma. Occasionally, mesothelioma develops in people who have never been exposed to asbestos.

The other causes of mesothelioma are not fully understood, but in rare cases the development of mesothelioma has been linked to exposure to radiation. Mesothelioma is not contagious and cannot be passed on to other people. It is not caused by inherited genes so family members do not have an increased risk of developing it. The magic of modern science will someday soon decipher exact causes of mesothelioma but until then get periodic checkups if you have ever been exposed to asbestos.

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