What are the causes of mesothelioma?
The Risk Factors
1. What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
• Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.
• Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems.? Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person’s risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.
1. Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma?
• The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.
As discussed earlier the asbestos exposure is the major risk factor. This doesn?t imply that the person who are not at all exposed to asbestos are not be bothered by this dangerous disease condition. Yes, there are reports of mesothelioma in those who were not at all having any connection to asbestos either directly and indirectly.
Mesothelioma can also be triggered by other substances such as irradiation, erionite [fibrous silicate], and thorium dioxide but the incidences are very rare.
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