Mesothelioma Cancer: Although rare, cases of mesothelioma have been found following radiation exposure to the chest and abdomen. These individuals were usually treated in the past with radiation therapy for a malignancy of the lymph glands known as lymphoma. Lastly, there is an indication that a person’s own genes can play an important role in determining who is susceptible, or vulnerable, to these mineral fibers and will then develop mesothelioma. It is hoped that doctors will be able to find the specific susceptibility gene in the future and that this may lead to the development of new prevention and treatment strategies to better control this disease.
Exposure to asbestos is the link to the development of mesothelioma. People who end up with this disease usually have had some type of previous exposure to asbestos. How this works is not fully understood. It is thought that asbestos fibers are inhaled and first travel through the upper air passages, which include the throat, the trachea (windpipe), and the large bronchi (large breathing tubes of the lungs). These airways are lined with mucus, and therefore most of the fibers are cleared from these upper airways by sticking to this mucus and being coughed up or swallowed. When the fibers continue to travel and reach the small airways (the alveoli), the body’s immune system is able to surround, engulf, and remove the smaller fibers by a process known as phagocytosis. The large, long, thin fibers cannot be cleared as easily and may eventually reach the pleura (the lining of the lung and the chest wall), where they may irritate and injure the cells and lead to the development of calcium containing platelike structures on the pleural lining (pleural plaques), fibrosis (scar tissue formation), or mesothelioma. These same asbestos fibers can also damage cells in the lung itself, which can lead to asbestosis (scar tissue in the lung) and/or lung cancer. Patients with these pleural plaques seem to be at highest risk for developing mesothelioma.
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The best way to prevent mesothelioma is to decrease one’s exposure to asbestos in the workplace, at home, and in the environment. The federal government is responsible for developing regulations that deal with asbestos exposure in the workplace. The agency that issues these regulations is known as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employers are required to follow these regulations, and therefore workers who are concerned about asbestos exposure should be discussing these concerns with their employers or union. Also, employees should be using all protective equipment provided to them by their employers and following recommended safety procedures and practices while at work.
If you are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, you should be aware of the potential of bringing the fibers home on your clothes, skin, and hair. It is best to change your clothes and shower at work if at all possible. If not, then it is important to do this immediately upon arriving home, which will limit the amount of exposure to others. Remove your clothes and put them in the washing machine as soon as possible.
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Don’t forget! Asbestos is associated with lung cancer too! Many studies have shown that the combination of smoking and exposure to asbestos is particularly hazardous. The risk of lung cancer is greatly increased in asbestos-exposed individuals who smoke. However, smoking in the absence of asbestos exposure has not been associated with the development of mesothelioma. Nevertheless, did you know that certain cigarette filters were constructed from asbestos fibers? Fortunately, this brand, Kents, is no longer on the market.
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