What are the mesothelioma causes

Mesothelioma Causes

Mesothelioma - a cancer that typically attacks the lungs and abdomen - was profoundly rare until the industrial and commercial use of asbestos expanded in the 20th century. Medical researchers have spent decades investigating the disease and what causes it, and their findings are that asbestos exposure is the primary culprit for mesothelioma causes. Mesothelioma causes due to a lot of exposure to asbestos.
 It most often occurs with people (mostly men) who have handled asbestos in construction, insulating homes, and razing buildings.

Through studies aimed at pinpointing the exact mesothelioma causes, researchers gradually learned how being exposed to asbestos triggers cancer.

In March 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer reconfirmed that all forms of asbestos is one of the mesothelioma causes - and asbestos exposure is one of the foremost mesothelioma causes.

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How Mesothelioma Causes by Asbestos

Cancer mesothelioma causes after exposure to asbestos, which most often occurs in the workplace – in industrial settings, shipyards, auto repair shops, old houses, schools and public buildings. It usually takes long-term exposure to put someone at risk, asbestos is highly toxic. An even short-term and one-time exposure is also a factor in the list of mesothelioma causes.

Microscopic asbestos fibers are breathed in or swallowed. The human body has difficulty destroying or getting rid of these fibers. Over decades, the fibers cause biological changes that result in inflammation, scarring and genetic damage. The most susceptible area to these fibers is the lining of the lungs, called the pleura, although fibers also can become trapped in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). Once fibers cause biological damage, the stage is set for the decades-long latency period for the development of malignant mesothelioma.

Where Does Asbestos Exposure Occur?

Until the 1980s, asbestos was everywhere in homes and businesses and in many forms. It was used in thousands of industrial and household products.

Work-related exposure delivered the most potential for exposure, but it also can occur at home, at the office, in public buildings, in industrial settings, and even in urban areas that are generally considered environmentally friendly because asbestos occurs naturally.

With so many materials once manufactured with asbestos, there are a number of ways a person could have experienced exposure, including:

Working at an asbestos mine or asbestos processing plant

Living in a residential area near an asbestos mine

Working in a high-risk occupational setting such as the construction or automotive industry.

Renovating an asbestos-containing home without adequate safety measures.

Serving on military facilities or ships where asbestos was used in construction

It generally takes repeated, heavy exposure to asbestos in an occupational setting to be at risk for asbestos-related disease. Once asbestos fibers accumulate in the body, they can trigger a number of biological changes that is the of mesothelioma causes.

How Does Mesothelioma Develop?

A person can be exposed to asbestos by inhaling or ingesting microscopic asbestos fibers. The fibers can become lodged in the mesothelial lining of primary organs, such as the lungs. Over time, damage caused by the fibers can result in the development of cancerous tumors.

The exact mesothelioma causes are still being researched, but medical professionals have formulated several theories for further exploration:

INFLAMED CELLS
Asbestos causes mesothelial cells to become irritated and inflamed, which leads to irreversible scarring, cellular damage and cancer.
GENETIC CHANGES
Asbestos fibers enter mesothelial cells and disrupt the natural functions of cellular division, resulting in genetic changes that lead to cancer.
CANCEROUS MUTATIONS
Asbestos causes the production of free radicals, which are molecules that damage DNA and cause healthy cells to undergo cancerous mutations.
UNCONTROLLED GROWTH
Asbestos can trigger cellular production of oncoproteins, which cause mesothelial cells to ignore normal cell division restraints and become cancerous.

The factor uniting these theories is that asbestos leads to cellular damage that disrupts the natural cell cycle. Once normal function of the cell cycle is lost, cells begin to divide and grow uncontrollably. These cells then accumulate into tumors that trigger mesothelioma symptoms which is one the masothelioma causes.In a 2010 study conducted by the National Cancer Institute and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, researchers may have confirmed a primary way that mesothelioma causes by asbestos. The study reported that asbestos damages cells through a process researcher dubbed "programmed cell necrosis." This process involves the release of a molecule known as "high-mobility group box 1 protein" (HMGB1), which triggers a chronic inflammatory reaction that causes tumor growth.

Other Potential Risk Factors

Although asbestos exposure is the primary culprit of mesothelioma causes, other risk factors may be involved in the development of the disease.

These potential risk factors include:

• Non-asbestos mineral fibers such as erionite and taconite
• Radiation exposure (noted in approximately 45 recorded cases in history)
• Simian virus 40, a contaminant of polio vaccines administered in the 1950s and 1960s
• Chest injuries, chronic inflammation, genetics and organic chemicals

Smoking has not been found in the contribution of mesothelioma causes. Researchers have, however, found that smoking can weaken the body's lungs and reduce the body's ability to expel the fibers once they are inside the body. Smoking can also aggravate other asbestos-related conditions such as asbestosis.If you feel that you may be at high risk for developing mesothelioma because of past asbestos exposure or other potential causes, an experienced doctor can schedule the appropriate screenings to detect this cancer. To obtain assistance with choosing a qualified physician in your area, contact the Mesothelioma Center's Doctor Match Program.

Mesothelioma Prevention

The best way to prevent mesothelioma is to take a proactive stance on your health and seek regular medical exams to check for signs of asbestos-related disease. If a previous job or project exposed you to asbestos, an experienced doctor can schedule the appropriate screenings to detect mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease. Those with a history of asbestos exposure should not wait for symptoms to arise; monitoring development of asbestos-related disease offers the most opportunity for effective treatment.

View Article Sources

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