Mesothelioma Causes
Mesothelium is the lining around vital organs of the body which helps their movement and also protects the organs. When this lining around the vital organs of the body is attacked by cancer cells then this type of cancer is called mesothelioma. The most common mesothelioma cause is inhalation of asbestos while working in an asbestos filled environment or inhalation of asbestos from external agents like clothes, hair or equipment of those working in an asbestos factory. Microscopic asbestos fibers can be inhaled while working and these fibers can lodge themselves in mesothelium lining around important body parts and cause cancerous tumors in the mesothelial lining.
Blue Asbestos Fibers in Lung Tissue
Most people who have mesothelioma have worked in a job where asbestos products were used, such as a shipyards, construction sites, plumbing, and steel work or laundered clothing contaminated by asbestos. Many times mesothelioma also affects the family members of the patient as they come on contact with asbestos from the clothes, hair or office articles of the patient. While mesothelioma can happen to family members, it is not a contagious disorder and it cannot pass on from parents to children through genes. People who live near asbestos factories can also get affected by mesothelioma as they might inhale asbestos from the nearby factory.
From the research conducted over the years, any contact with asbestos was found to be the major cause of mesothelioma. The three basic types of asbestos used in these industries were blue, brown and white asbestos. While in the beginning only the blue and brown asbestos were thought to cause mesothelioma, in the recent years it has been found that white asbestos also causes mesothelioma.
What Causes Mesothelioma?
As the detection of mesothelioma is very difficult and the symptoms only start to show at an average 20-40 years after exposure to mesothelioma it is estimated that more and more patients will continue to be diagnosed with the disorder in the coming years and with time the number of mesothelioma patient will decrease. Since the discovery of the link between asbestos and mesothelioma the working conditions in these industries have become stringent and the workers are allowed minimum or no exposure to the carcinogenic asbestos.
At www.mesotheliomadoctorsgroup.com, you can find out information about mesothelioma treatments, causes of mesothelioma and get advice from medical experts about mesothelioma.