Exposure to asbestos is the leading cause of pleural mesothelioma, with around 80% of all cases being attributed to known exposure to the mineral. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that was practically unknown until the 20th century, when industries began to expand the use of asbestos in various products. Asbestos fibers take an average of 20 to 50 years to convert normal mesothelial cells into mesothelioma cancer cells, and once mesothelial cells become cancerous, they can quickly form mesothelioma tumors that grow and spread within months to a few years. Research has shown that asbestos is the only proven cause of mesothelioma.
Other potential risk factors, such as exposure to the SV40 virus or minerals that look like asbestos, have not been shown to cause mesothelioma. Other risk factors, such as the genes you inherit or exposure to radiation, zeolite minerals, and the polio vaccine between 1955 and 1963 that was contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40), have not been proven as causes of mesothelioma either. Asbestos is a mineral found naturally in the environment. It is strong and heat resistant, making it useful in a wide variety of applications, such as insulation, brakes, shingles, flooring and many other products.
Asbestos was commonly used to build various types of structures in the 1930s and early 1980s due to its resistance to fire, water, sound, and more. Unfortunately, many people have been exposed to asbestos in some way from the 1930s to today. Although the use of asbestos fell sharply in the 1980s, after the mineral's hazards became widespread, it has not been completely banned.In Turkey, an asbestos-like mineral called erionite has been shown to increase the risk of mesothelioma. Further studies will be needed to identify the full picture of genes predisposing to mesothelioma and their contribution to the molecular mechanisms of asbestos carcinogenesis discovered so far, including chronic inflammation and altered metabolism.
There is some evidence that families of people exposed to asbestos are at increased risk of developing mesothelioma.When asbestos fibers move to different parts of the body, they can cause different types of mesothelioma. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 or more years after exposure. If you are looking for support for mesothelioma, contact our patient advocates at (85) 404-4592.
