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Mesothelioma
 What
causes mesothelioma?
Asbestos
exposure is the main cause of
mesothelioma. After these fibers are
breathed in, they travel to the ends of
small air passages and reach the pleura
where they cause physical damage to
mesothelial cells that may result in
cancer. In addition, they also cause
injury to lung cells that can result in
lung cancer and/or asbestosis (replacement
of lung tissue by scar tissue). If
swallowed, these fibers can reach the
abdominal cavity where they have a role in
causing peritoneal mesothelioma.
Exposure
to asbestos, though mostly occupational,
can also be environmental, or familial by
household contamination, through the work
clothes of an asbestos worker for
instance.
Beginning
15 years after the onset of exposure,
about 6% of asbestos workers die of
mesothelioma. In one study of asbestos
insulation workers, the death rate from
mesothelioma was 344 times higher than in
the general population. (Selifoff IJ et
al. Relation between exposure to asbestos
and mesothelioma. NEJM)
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