Malignant Mesothelioma -
Prolonged Asbestos Exposure

Malignant Mesothelioma

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Malignant mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer attributed to prolonged asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a carcinogenic mineral fiber that was commonly used as insulation in buildings, shipyards and automobiles up until the 1970s (at which point asbestos risk factors were well known). With 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of malignant mesothelioma reported each year in the United States, the disease is believed to be reaching its peak. A generation of blue-collar workers who spent their careers exposed to asbestos are approaching the age that symptoms of malignant mesothelioma generally present themselves (50 and older).

Malignant mesothelioma affects the serous membrane (the mesothelium) that lines several large body cavities:

Malignant mesothelioma is classed in accordance with the section of mesothelium that is affected. That is, it takes on three distinct forms: pleural, peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma: With symptoms resembling viral pneumonia, pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of malignant mesothelioma.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Causing swelling and pain of the abdominal cavity along with blood clotting abnormalities and a lowered red blood cell count, peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common type of malignant mesothelioma.

Pericardial Mesothelioma: Causing cancerous growth in the tissues surrounding the heart, pericardial mesothelioma is the least common type of malignant mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, since malignant mesothelioma is often advanced when diagnosed, the average survival time is one to two months. Diseases related to asbestos exposure are responsible for 10,000 American deaths each year.

Asbestos Health Hazards

Asbestos insulation was commonly used in buildings because of its fireproofing and insulating abilities. Asbestos risk factors were known long before the metamorphic mineral was regulated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act of 1970 (legislation enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency designed to protect the public from airborne contaminants). Studies demonstrated a correlation between asbestos exposure and certain health issues (specifically related to the lungs); however, nothing was done to curb the problem.

In addition to malignant mesothelioma, asbestos exposure can lead to other maladies including asbestosis, asbestos lung cancer and asbestos lung disease.

Asbestosis: A type of inflammatory lung disease contracted from prolonged asbestos exposure, asbestosis causes severe scarring of the lung tissue (fibrosis), making it more difficult for the lungs to pick up oxygen and drop off carbon dioxide in the blood. In addition to symptoms including shortness of breath and chronic coughing, asbestosis increases one's chances of developing cancerous tumors by as much as five times (smokers increase their chances of developing cancerous tumors by 55 times).

Asbestos Lung Cancer: Commonly confused with pleural mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer affects the lungs directly (as opposed to pleural mesothelioma, which affects the mesothelial cells of the thoracic cavity). Prolonged asbestos exposure, in addition to smoking cigarettes, increases one's chances of developing asbestos lung cancer significantly.

Asbestos Lung Disease: Asbestos lung disease is basically the "umbrella term" used to describe any disease that is contracted from prolonged asbestos exposure. This includes:

Smokers with prolonged asbestos exposure face increased chances of developing an asbestos lung disease.