Mesothelioma causes are not limited to asbestos exposure alone but can also be attributed to other types of carcinogens. In the following, you will learn more about some of the other mesothelioma causes and how they can be avoided.
One of the most common causes of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Since asbestos was once widely used as a thermal insulator, it is in fact nearly impossible to know that you may have asbestos in your body without having it tested. The difficulty with asbestos exposure and its mesothelioma causes lies in the fact that it can cause fibrosis (the growth of scar tissue) in the lining of the chest and abdomen. It can also cause mesothelioma cancerous tumors which eventually spread into the lungs and other parts of the body.
There are many other factors that can contribute to asbestos exposure and its mesothelioma causes. Asbestos exposure can be from exposure to other materials that contain asbestos, such as painting, wallpaper, drywall, cement, nails, shingles, and tile. You may have been exposed to asbestos on the job, such as on construction sites, when you worked on roofing or other jobs where it is likely to come in contact with asbestos fibers. If you have ever been exposed to asbestos through medical treatments, you may have also been exposed through your work, such as in radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There have even been cases where asbestos fibers were found in the blood or urine of patients who had not been exposed to asbestos at all.
Mesothelioma causes are often associated with lung cancer. While these cancers do not occur immediately after the exposure, it is possible that a person could have been exposed to asbestos at some point, either while developing the cancer or on a regular basis while the patient was developing it. While most of the cases involve workers exposed to asbestos at some point during their careers, there are cases where individuals exposed to asbestos before they developed lung cancer, such as those who had prior chest reconstruction surgery, have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Carcinogens such as PCBs and dioxins have also been linked to asbestos exposure. Unfortunately, the only way to know whether or not you have been exposed to these chemicals is through testing. Most of the time, a doctor will order an x-ray of the patient’s body to determine if there are any asbestos fibers that have found their way into the chest. If so, then your doctor will prescribe an asbestos abatement course to help you avoid developing mesothelioma.
Environmental occupational exposures have also been linked to mesothelioma causes. Exposure to radon, asbestos, diesel exhaust, chemicals, and toxic vapors has all been shown to cause mesothelioma. For some of these diseases, doctors have also discovered that specific genes can cause the cancer. This means that the genetics may also play a role in the development of other illnesses, such as lung cancer.
The mesothelioma causes that have received the most research so far are primarily respiratory diseases. Lung cancer, as well as mesothelioma, are the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. There are a number of non-cancerous tumors that develop from asbestos exposure and many of these mesothelioma causes, particularly those affecting the lungs, also have long-term health effects. This is why it is very important to immediately report any suspected asbestos exposure to your doctor.
