What Causes Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is often considered to be a form of lung cancer, when in fact it is a cancer that affects the mesothelium, which is the protective membrane that coats the body's internal organs. It is one of the deadliest forms of cancers with death usually occurring between 4-12 months after diagnosis, and most people who are diagnosed die from respiratory failure caused by the disease. However, roughly 10% of people die from heart complications when the tumor has reached the heart. Thankfully, it is also a rare form of the disease with just 2,000 new cases reported annually.
The chief cause of mesothelioma is overexposure to asbestos. Asbestos has been widely used in construction, mining, and the automotive industries for decades due to this mineral's incredible resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity. When small asbestos particles are released into the air, as they are during most manufacturing or mining processes, they can be unknowingly inhaled or swallowed by people. This is why it's considered by many to be a lung cancer, since it usually appears around the lungs first.
As many as 80% of mesothelioma cases result directly from workplace exposure, and other cases can result from second-hand exposure such as living with someone from a high-risk workplace, or from living near asbestos mines. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid areas with large amounts of airborne asbestos. If you cannot do so, the best way to lower your risk is to wear a protective mask when working in one of these places, such as asbestos mines, shipyards, and some factories.
There are a few other suspected causes of this disease, including exposure to zeolites, which are another kind of mineral that's chemically similar to asbestos. Zeolites are usually found in the soil and are not found everywhere, though people that live in areas where zeolites can be found have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in the past. A smaller number of cases have been traced to radiation exposure, and more specifically due to the use of thorium dioxide, which was a chemical used in chest x-rays until the mid-20th century. Some experts claim that exposure to a virus called SV40, which was used in polio vaccines in the 1950s and 60s, can also increase the likelihood for the disease, though no studies have showed a direct link in humans. Genetics is also suspected, though proof is not widely available.
