Asbestos Exposure: The main risk factor for mesothelioma
Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally in the environment. Asbestos fibers are strong and resistant to heat, which makes them useful in a wide variety of applications, such as insulation, brakes, shingles, flooring and many other products.
When asbestos is broken, as during the extraction process or when removing asbestos insulation, dust can be created. If dust is inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers are deposited in the lungs or in the stomach, where they can cause irritation that can lead to mesothelioma. Exactly how this happens is not understood. It may take 30 to 40 years or more for mesothelioma to develop after exposure to asbestos.
Most people with years of exposure to asbestos never develop mesothelioma. Yet others with brief exposure develop the disease. This indicates that other factors may be involved in determining whether someone gets mesothelioma or not. For example, you could inherit a predisposition to cancer or other conditions may increase your risk.
Possible risk factors
Factors that may increase the risk of mesothelioma include:
Personal history of exposure to asbestos. If you have been directly exposed to asbestos fibers at work or at home, your risk of mesothelioma is greatly increased.
Living with someone who works with asbestos. People who are exposed to asbestos can carry home the fibers on the skin and clothing. Exposure to these stray fibers for many years may put others at home at risk of mesothelioma. People who work with high levels of asbestos can reduce the risk of introduction of asbestos fibers home shower and change clothes before leaving work.
A monkey virus used in vaccines against polio. Some research suggests a link between mesothelioma and simian virus 40 (SV40), a virus originally found in monkeys. Millions of people may have been exposed to SV40 when receiving vaccination against polio between 1955 and 1963 because the vaccine was developed using monkey cells. Once it was discovered that SV40 has been linked to certain cancers, the virus has been removed from the vaccine against polio. That SV40 increases the risk of mesothelioma is a matter of debate, and more research is needed.
