UNDERSTANDING WHAT MESOTHELIOMA IS

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that arises in the mesothelium, a thin membrane that protects your internal organs and allows them to move freely without damage-causing friction. You have several of these membranes in your body: the pleura surround the lungs; the peritoneum protects your abdominal cavity (stomach, intestines, and other organs); and the pericardium envelops your heart.  Mesothelioma can occur in any of these membranes, but pleural mesothelioma is by far the most common, accounting for about 70 percent of all mesothelioma cases. Although some people may have a genetic predisposition for developing mesothelioma, nearly all cases arise from exposure to asbestos. Men typically are at greater risk than women, but women also get this disease.  This chapter provides an overview of mesothelioma, starting with a look at who’s at risk for developing mesothelioma, how your respiratory system works and how mesothelioma affects your body. Look for cross-references to other chapters for more detailed information. 

 WHO’S AT RISK

 Between 2,500 and 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year. Anyone who has been exposed to asbestos is at risk for developing mesothelioma, and, although your risk increases with the length of time you were exposed to asbestos, even small exposures to asbestos can cause mesothelioma.

Ironically, your risk also increases with the length of time that elapses after your exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma has a very long latency period – that is, the period between exposure to asbestos and the onset of symptoms of the disease. 

  Mesothelioma typically doesn’t appear until at least a decade after asbestos exposure; in some cases, the latency period has been 50 years or longer.

Sometimes, mesothelioma results from exposure to naturally occurring asbestos, but the most common causes are exposure to asbestos in the workplace or from products used in the home (see Chapter 2 for examples of such products). Spouses and family members of workers also may have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibers from the clothing the workers wore home from the job site. Here are some quick facts about mesothelioma and risk factors:

· Men are more commonly diagnosed than women, because men more typically worked in jobs where they were exposed to asbestos. These high-risk jobs include electricians, shipyard workers, factory workers, pipefitters, oil refinery workers, auto mechanics, machinists, and steel workers. (See Chapter 2 for more on how asbestos was used and the most dangerous jobs relating to asbestos exposure.) Older men account for more than 90 percent of all new mesothelioma diagnoses each year. Although no one knows exactly why, Caucasian men are statistically more likely to develop the disease than African-American or Hispanic men.

 · Women who worked in factories had increased direct exposure to asbestos and are more likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma later in life.

· Women whose husbands, fathers, or other household members worked in high-exposure jobs also are at risk of developing mesothelioma from secondary exposure to the asbestos dust and fibers on work clothes. Children in these homes also are at risk from secondary exposure.

 · People who used asbestos-containing products in their homes are at increased risk of developing mesothelioma.

· Because of mesothelioma’s long latency period, people over the age of 50 are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Most mesothelioma diagnoses come in patients between the ages of 50 and 70; those who are diagnosed earlier may have a better chance of long-term survival.

 · People serving as first responders – fire-fighters, police officers, rescue workers and recovery personnel – may be exposed to asbestos at disaster sites, such as the World Trade Center.

 · Armed service personnel, especially those serving on ships in the Navy or Coast Guard, also are at higher risk of developing mesothelioma.