Known as a rare yet aggressive cancer, mesothelioma is generally found in the lung lining or areas such as the heart or abdomen, for example. While it might be rare, the disease almost exclusively stems from asbestos exposure. This can happen due to inflammation and increasing cellular damage over time from inhaling asbestos fibers that lodge into tissue.
Unfortunately, many cases of mesothelioma are discovered in late stages due to symptoms taking decades to develop. In most circumstances with the disease, symptoms could take anywhere from 20 to 50 years before they start to show.
Among everything that’s known about this type of cancer and its causes, mesothelioma is still a prevalent health concern, even in old hospitals. This article will highlight a brief understanding of mesothelioma and its causes and risk factors.
Primary Causes of Mesothelioma
The issue with asbestos is that the body isn’t able to expel the fibers that are inhaled. This is what leads to a compounding issue over time, gradually causing expanding inflammation and tissue damage. Other notable aspects of this primary cause of mesothelioma include:
- Prolonged asbestos exposure is common in many high-risk occupations
- Family members and surrounding colleagues can get secondary exposure
- Many older buildings and even products can contain asbestos
While cancer is unfortunate in any circumstance, mesothelioma isn’t one that’s easy to catch early on. However, asbestos may be the primary cause of this specific type of cancer, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t secondary risk factors to consider. Asbestos can also lead to different types of cancer, which is why it’s a focal point for many of the best hospitals for lung cancer treatment.
Secondary Risk Factors
Although asbestos is a leading topic of conversation when discovering mesothelioma, it isn’t the only risk factor involved. For example, genetic mutations and various hazardous minerals and chemicals could increase the risk of the disease developing.
When it comes to genetic impact on damage repair, this can have a direct correlation to how your body handles the cancer. Certain mutations could impair the body’s ability to repair damaged cells, which could accelerate the cancer’s progression.
On top of that, some people are exposed to certain chemicals or radiation that could lead to an increased risk of mesothelioma. While many different cancer therapies and treatments exist, that doesn’t guarantee a fix. This requires prolonged exposure, but there’s enough data to back up this correlation nonetheless.
Prevention and Awareness
Considering how mesothelioma is generally formed, there are a few best practices attached to prevention and awareness. In today’s world, you’ll find many strict guidelines pertaining to the use of asbestos. When asbestos is present in a working environment, protective gear and safety practices are in place to reduce exposure.
Many people would also have a hard time identifying asbestos if they saw it, which is why education is so important here. While asbestos can’t be avoided 100% from industrial and environmental settings, it’s best to reduce exposure as much as possible.
Endnote
It’s true that mild exposure to asbestos won’t guarantee cancer down the line, but if this is prolonged, that could be a different story. Any form of cancer shouldn’t be taken lightly, but how the cancer is caused can make mesothelioma treatment tough to navigate. Between awareness and growing research, you can do your best to reduce any potential for the disease to form over time.
