9 . What Your Parents Teach You About Mesothelioma From Asbestos
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure
People who use asbestos-containing products are at risk of ingesting asbestos fibers. These fibers penetrate the tissue of the chest cavity or abdomen, also known as the peritoneum and pleura.
Exposure to asbestos increases the chance of developing malignant pleural mesothelioma or peritoneal cancer throughout your lifetime. Although the risk is believed to decrease after 40 years of exposure, even a small amount of asbestos exposure is dangerous.
Age
The older a person is when they are exposed the more likely they will develop mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, which is a thin layer of tissue around the major organs of the body. The cancerous cells are malignant, meaning they grow out of control and develop into tumors. Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in people who were exposed to asbestos, either in their work or as a member of someone who was exposed to it.
Exposure to asbestos may cause mesothelioma due to the irritation of the mesothelium. The lung's lining (pleura) is most affected by mesothelioma of the pleural region, but it can also affect the lining of the abdomen and peritoneum as well as the heart lining (pericardium).
Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally is extremely durable and heat-resistant. It was used for construction as insulation, construction, and for other industrial uses up to the 1980s. In the 1980s millions of Americans were either exposed to asbestos as a result of their work or by being around someone who was exposed to asbestos.
When asbestos is disturbed, it releases fibers in the air. These can be inhaled, and they're too tough for the body to break down or process. The fibers can cause irritation and even cancer in the lungs if they get stuck.
The signs of mesothelioma are usually not manifest for a long time after exposure to asbestos. The symptoms are similar to other cancers and can be fatal without treatment.
Men are more likely to be affected by mesothelioma than females. It is also most often diagnosed among those over 45. Miners, shipbuilders and railroad workers, and people who work with asbestos-containing items are at the highest risk of developing mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos in the workplace. The asbestos in the clothing of these people could put their family members at risk.
Smoking
A person's chances of getting mesothelioma increases the longer they're exposed to asbestos. This is due to the lengthy time of latency, which can be between 20 and 60 years from first exposure until diagnosis. Mesothelioma may occur in different parts of the body, based on the type and quantity of asbestos present. The chest wall's lining and lung cavity (the pleura) is affected by mesothelioma of the pleural region. Peritoneal mesothelioma forms in the abdominal lining, called the peritoneum.
Most of the time, those who have been exposed develop mesothelioma of the chest or lung. People who worked in the power generation, shipbuilding, and construction industries are the most at risk. However, mesothelioma can also develop in individuals who were exposed to asbestos at home or in school. Children and spouses of asbestos-exposed workers may carry asbestos fibers from the workplace to their homes on their clothes hair, skin and hair. This puts them at risk.
Mesothelioma sufferers are usually white and over 65. They are also more likely to have a blue-collar job or a military background. The United States Navy and other branches of the military have used asbestos extensively because of its properties to resist flames, and millions of veterans could have been exposed to it.
When DNA changes occur, they may cause cells to multiply without a limit. This can lead to the growth of tumors which eventually become mesothelioma. The disease can affect any part of the body, however the majority of cases occur in the abdomen or chest.
Smoking causes mesothelioma however it can increase your risk by increasing the amount of asbestos you inhale. Anyone who has been exposed asbestos should stop smoking.
A person's treatment plan for mesothelioma should include a physician who is knowledgeable about asbestos exposure and risk factors. A mesothelioma specialist can help determine the best treatment option for this rare cancer. The doctor can determine whether the patient is eligible for immunotherapy or other experimental treatments.
asbestos (Technetbloggers blog post) Exposure
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is used in many different products such as flooring, roofing, and insulation. Workers who handle asbestos-containing materials and manufacture them, or work with them are at a high risk of being exposed. Exposure to asbestos fibers in the air can lead to illness and cancer.
Many asbestos-related illnesses are not recognized until it is too late due to a long latency period between exposure and the development of symptoms. Mesothelioma one of the most hazardous of asbestos settlement-related illnesses, is no exception. Symptoms of mesothelioma can develop between 20 and 60 years after exposure to asbestos.
The most common method by which people are exposed to asbestos is through occupational exposure. All jobs that require asbestos litigation handling or usage include those in manufacturing, construction, automotive mechanics, and electrical. However, people can also be exposed to asbestos by home activities, like smoking or renovation of older houses that contain asbestos settlement.
Inhalation of asbestos is the most common mesothelioma-related cause. Inhaled asbestos fibers can travel to the lung, where they cause irritation to a lining called the pleura. This irritation causes the formation of thickened pleura patches (pleural plaques) and fibrosis of the lungs. As the disease progresses, it could result in the accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity (pleural effusion) and ultimately lung cancer. Mesothelioma can also affect the lining of other organs, including the abdomen and heart.
People who are exposed to asbestos in their work are at the greatest risk of developing mesothelioma. But people who have the family history of mesothelioma, or other asbestos-related illnesses, are also at risk. A person's risk is also higher if they've been exposed to asbestos in multiple jobs during their lifetime. Smoking does increase the risk of mesothelioma, however, it can also worsen the disease for those already diagnosed. If you have an history of exposure to asbestos and are suffering from mesothelioma quitting smoking can prolong your life and improve the outcome of your treatment. It is essential to inform your doctor about the exposure to asbestos as well as any new symptoms, such as breathlessness or abdominal pain, because they can treat the disease by undergoing surgery or medication.
Genetics
Many cancers are genetically related, meaning that a person’s genes may increase the likelihood of developing a specific disease. However, mesothelioma doesn't have an element of genetics. In fact asbestos exposure is the main reason.
Asbestos fibers enter the body by being inhaled or swallowed, and they stick to the lining of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum) or around the heart (the pericardium). As time passes, these loose fibers can alter or damage the cells that make up these linings. This can result in mesothelioma development.
Despite this, mesothelioma does not affect all people who are exposed. Researchers believe that other factors can influence whether someone develops mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure. This could include a person's gender and age as well as their family history of mesothelioma and other illnesses, and whether they are afflicted with other risk factors such as smoking.
Men are more likely than women to develop mesothelioma. This may be because more males than females were directly exposed to asbestos compensation at work. It can take between 20 and 60 years for mesothelioma develop following the first exposure to asbestos.
A faulty gene is another risk factor for mesothelioma. In a study that looked at two families with high rates of mesothelioma cancer, researchers found that nearly everyone in the family was affected by a defective gene on their short arm of chromosome 3. This gene is called BAP 1 and regulates how calcium moves inside cells. A faulty gene disrupts this process and causes calcium levels to drop. This allows asbestos to mutate healthy cells into cancerous ones, causing mesothelioma.
A mutated gene can also increase the chance of developing mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure. People who have this mutation have a lower percentage of white blood cells which are the cells that fight off cancerous cells.
The type of asbestos to which an individual was exposed and their occupation can also increase a person's mesothelioma-related risk. Additionally the polio vaccine administered to children in the 1940s and 1950s may increase the risk of mesothelioma because it exposed them to the cancer-causing SV40 virus.