Causes of Mesothelioma
About ten percent of the cases of mesothelioma that occur are a result of tumors in other parts of the body releasing cancerous cells that attach themselves to the mesothelium and cause tumors to grow there. The rest of the cases come as a direct result to exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos
The primary, direct cause of mesothelioma is asbestos. A naturally occurring mineral found all over the world, it comes in the form of long thin crystals. Asbestos is resistant to heat and flames and deadens sound. It’s also resistant to electricity and chemicals and increases the strength of any product it is added to. It’s been in use for centuries, but really became popular as an insulator during the industrial revolution. Eventually, it found its way into over 3,000 common products.
Insulation wrapped around hot water pipes in old buildings, the cement blocks and the mortar found in foundation, floor and ceiling tiles, and even suits made to protect men and women working in extreme heat used asbestos as a main ingredient. Many industries also used asbestos extensively. Some of the most common high risk jobs for asbestos exposure include miners, power plant workers, sailors, those in the construction and maintenance professions and many others. For information about asbestos, please see “Asbestos Overview.”
Asbestos becomes very dangerous when it becomes airborne. It is a friable mineral, which means that it breaks apart and crumbles easily. The resultant dust contains millions of microscopic asbestos fibers that can be swallowed and inhaled by anyone in the area. Once the fibers enter the body, they cause irreparable harm to the tissues they come into contact with. For instance, the fibers that settle in the lungs tend to scratch the delicate tissues as the individual breathes. A scar tissue forms to protect the inside of the lungs, but it can’t pull oxygen out of the air. This is the most common result of asbestos exposure, called asbestosis. The fibers can also make their way to the outside of the lungs, or other organ, as the case may be, and infect the mesothelium.
The Mesothelium and Asbestos
First of all, the mesothelium is a lining found in the body that covers and protects most of the vital organs. It secretes a slimy fluid that allows the various organs to perform their functions while rubbing against each other and the body cavities that they’re enclosed in. It’s called by different names according to where it’s found in the body. The pleura is in the chest, the peritoneum is located in the abdomen, and the pericardium surrounds the heart. There is also mesothelial tissues that surround both the male and female reproductive organs, called the tunica vaginalis testis and the tunica serosa uteri, respectively.
The most common form of mesothelioma occurs in the pleura. Once the fibers that have been inhaled reach the pleura, they irritate and inflame it. Fluid begins to fill the cavities between the mesothelium and the lungs and, eventually, tumors begin to form. Medical professionals believe that same thing happens in the stomach with fibers that are swallowed, but the actual process is not as well understood in the formation of peritoneal mesothelioma. The formation of pericardial mesothelioma is also less understood, but it is believed that the blood may carry the fibers to the heart.
Mesothelioma
It can take anywhere from twenty to fifty years for the results of asbestos to show up. But when it does, the results are deadly. The average lifespan of an individual diagnosed with mesothelioma is between six and eighteen months. There is a lot of research being performed on diagnosis procedures, treatments and medications to help patients afflicted with the disease. One study estimates that about five percent of current victims may survive longer than five years and ten percent may survive between three and five years. There is no cure, yet.
The key to successful treatments is early diagnosis. The same treatment options that are used in other cancer cases can be used for mesothelioma. If the tumor mass isn’t too big, surgery can be performed to remove the cancerous tissue. Then, either chemotherapy or radiation therapy can be used to try to rid the body of any other cancerous cells that may be floating around. The tumors in mesothelioma metastasize quickly, which can spread cancer to many other parts of the body. For more information about mesothelioma, please see “Mesothelioma Overview.”
(For more info click here)
