What Causes Mesothelioma? Can It Be Prevented?

A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person's age or family history, can't be changed. But having a risk factor, or even several, doesn’t mean that a person will get the disease.
The main risk factor for mesothelioma is contact with asbestos. In the past, asbestos was used in insulation as well as in other products such as floor tiles, door gaskets, roofing, patching compounds, and more. Since asbestos is a natural mineral, it can also be found in dust and rocks in certain parts of the United States. Most use stopped after 1989, but it is still used in some products.
When asbestos fibers are breathed in, some can travel to the ends of the small air passages and reach the lining of the lungs. There they can damage the cells lining the lungs, which can lead to pleural mesothelioma. If swallowed, these fibers can also reach the lining of the abdominal cavity where they play a part in causing peritoneal mesothelioma.
People who may be at risk for asbestos exposure include some miners, factory workers, makers of insulation, railroad workers, ship builders, gas mask makers, and construction workers. Several studies have shown that family members of people exposed to asbestos at work have an increased risk of mesothelioma because asbestos fibers are carried home on the clothes of the workers.
The risk of getting mesothelioma depends on how much asbestos a person was exposed to and for how long. Mesotheliomas take a long time to develop. The time between the first exposure and finding the disease is often between 20 and 50 years. Another important point about asbestos is that the risk of mesothelioma does not drop over time. The risk appears to be lifelong and it does not go down.
There is some evidence linking Thorotrast, a material once used in certain x-rays, to mesothelioma. But Thorotrast has not been used for many years.
Some recent studies have raised the suggested that infection with simian virus 40 (SV40) might increase the risk of mesothelioma. Some polio vaccines prepared between 1955 and 1963 were contaminated with SV40. Research into this question is still going on.
While tobacco smoke has not been shown to cause mesothelioma, smokers exposed to asbestos have a much higher risk of lung cancer. More asbestos workers die of lung cancer than of mesothelioma.
Can Mesothelioma Be Prevented?
The best way to prevent this disease is to avoid contact with asbestos in homes, public buildings, and at work. People who could be exposed to asbestos at work include miners, factory workers, insulation workers, railroad workers, ship builders, makers of gas masks, and construction workers.
If there is a chance of exposure, say, in fixing up old buildings, then workers should take special measures to protect themselves. If you live in an older home, there may be asbestos in the insulation or in other materials. An expert can check your home to see if there is any danger. If so, you might decide to have the asbestos removed. You should hire a qualified person to do this job. You should not attempt to do it yourself.