Mesothelioma, generally, the cancer of the mesothelium, is a highly aggressive form of cancer. This form of cancer is very difficult, both to diagnose as well as to treat. Each year, around three thousand cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the USA and around two thousand in the UK. Though rather a rare form of cancer with an average diagnosis rate of 1 per million, the number of cases diagnosed with it is on a rise from each year to the next. Mesothelioma is one of the many forms of cancer in which the malignant cells grow in the protective lining covering most of the internal organs of the body, known as the mesothelium. This growth of malignant cells is most common in the lining of the lungs, also known as the pleura, as well as the internal walls of the chest. It is, however, also known to occur along the lining of the heart, known as the pericardium, the peritoneum,
or the lining along the abdomen, as well as the tunica vaginalis, which is the lining along the vagina in a woman.

Mesothelioma is marked with most of the common symptoms associated with any forms of cancer, including shortness of breath, nausea, weight loss and diarrhea or constipation. This form of cancer is diagnosed by X-rays and CT Scans as well as thoracoscopy, a form of biopsy where by a tube is inserted into the chest cavity with a camera attached to it.

Treatment of this disease is carried out by surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Although in most cases, two or more of these methods are used together in fighting the disease. In spite of this, however, mesothelioma carries with it a very poor prognosis, mainly due to the fact that diagnosis in an early stage is so difficult. Research is going on about faster diagnosis and an early detection of the disease so that more forms of treatment open up to the patient.

Types of Mesothelioma are of three such as, Pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the pleura, which is the protective inner lining covering the lungs. Declared to be the most common form of mesothelioma. It is stated the most common form. Peritonial mesothelioma occurs in the peritoneum, the cavity of the lining of the abdomen, and is the second most common form of the disease after pleural mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma, the rarest form of the disease occurs in the pericardium, or the lining of the heart. One thing to remember in mesothelioma is that it does not actually occur inside the organs themselves, but rather, in the cavity of the lining of the organs. However, the cancer may spread, at more advanced stages, to the internal organs.

Sources of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, the form of cancer, is almost solely caused by an exposure to asbestos. Up to 85 % of all mesothelioma cases can be attributed to an exposure to asbestos. Other factors, however like smoking, however, can aggravate the disease in certain individuals. Most people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma have had, at one point or the other in their life, come in contact with asbestos. Most of these people have worked at jobs where they have been exposed to asbestos particles or dust or fibres in different ways. Mesothelioma is caused by inhaling asbestos for extended periods of time, but the period of exposure can be as short as a few months. Only a few months of exposure to asbestos is enough to cause mesothelioma in some people. However, the period from the exposure to the contraction of the disease, known as the latency period can be any thing from months to years and even decades. A latency period in decades is most common in this disease, as people exposed to asbestos in the 70s and 80s are known to be diagnosed with the disease in this decade. Some recent lawsuits have established that people exposed to asbestos as part of their jobs are eligible for compensation via their employers’ asbestos fund, and are an important issue in mesothelioma contracted patients.

Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of minerals that grow naturally as masses of strong and flexible fibers. They are long and thin and easily separable to individual fibres. Asbestos possesses excellent heat-shielding and insulation properties, and hence, is used widely in a variety of products, which make use of its low electrical conductivity, flexibility, heat resistance and high tensile strength. Some of the materials in which asbestos is used are cement, brake linings, flooring products and roof shingles, textiles as well as materials which make use of its insulating properties.

Asbestos is known to be of two kinds, the serpentine family of asbestos and the amphibole family of asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos, a type of the serpentine family, is mostly used for industrial purposes. It is the only type of asbestos that is mined in a wide scale, although some other forms are also mined. Asbestos from the amphibole family, such as amosite, tremolite, and crocidolite, is much more straight and thin like needles.

Thousands of commercial materials worldwide have been proved to contain asbestos. Asbestos is not known to be harmful, as long as the material is intact. Asbestos is only considered harmful when the fibers get loose and become airborne, and have a danger of being inhaled. It is only when the commercial materials containing asbestos are damaged, thus damaging the asbestos within, releasing it in airborne form that health concerns arise. The main form of asbestos responsible for the health concern is friable asbestos, which is the asbestos that is dry and can be easily broken up with the hand of an individual. On breaking this asbestos, some fibers are released into the air, raising the concerns. Most buildings which have been sprayed with asbestos for insulation and fire proofing, uses this kind of friable asbestos. This is why, during the demolition of such a building, extensive care should be taken to use proper removal as well as disposal materials and to designate the area as an asbestos landfill so that people are aware of the asbestos in the area. However, friable asbestos is not the only kind of asbestos which has the risk of releasing airborne fibers. These kinds of asbestos release airborne fibers, especially when they are manipulated like hammered, chopped or sanded.

Since asbestos fibers are very strong and thin, airborne fibers, if inhaled can be the cause of many diseases. Inhaled asbestos fibers cannot be expelled, and being thin and highly strong, they easily penetrate the walls of body tissues, depositing themselves all over the body, such as air tracts and lungs. Those exposed to asbestos obviously inhale a lot of it, thus increasing the likelihood of a disease from asbestos. Casual to light exposure for a very short time to such fibers of asbestos, on the other hand, do not do enough damage to cause any asbestos related disease in the individuals.

Asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, different forms of cancers such kidney and larynx cancer, as well as asbestosis, are caused once the airborne fibers are lodged within the body of the person. Asbestosis is a breathing disorder caused by asbestos. It is caused when a high quantity of inhaled asbestos finds its way into the lungs, penetrating the walls, damaging and scarring the lung tissues. This scarring of the lung tissues as well as the lodging of alien particles inside the lungs makes it difficult for the person to breathe. Asbestosis cannot be cured, but the progression and further worsening of the condition can be halted. Those diagnosed with this disease are asked, above all, to stop further exposure to asbestos.

The main reason that asbestos related disease and mesothelioma in particular, is so deadly is because asbestos particles cannot be expelled from the body once they are inhaled. Once exposed to asbestos, the inhaled fibers will lodge themselves in the body, and cannot be removed from there. Hence, treatments to cure the disease proves futile because the causal agent cannot be gotten rid of from the body. Hence, prognosis is low and the best that can be done, in most cases, is the stoppage of further deterioration.

Many specific cases of asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma majorly, have been brought to light in the recent years, mainly due to the high latency period the disease has. Many people working on Ground Zero after the World Trade Center disaster were exposed to asbestos in the airborne form, and contracted mesothelioma. The military of the United States starting using asbestos extensively during the 20th Century, and has used it in majority of its sites. During World War II, asbestos was extensively used by the navy, and as such, many navy veterans who the United States of America starting from the second World War through the Vietnam War were exposed to high quantities of the deadly asbestos. Most of the naval buildings and quarters for navy personnel were the most common places for airborne asbestos. Many navy veterans, therefore, have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in the recent years due to the high level of exposure during their serving time.

Even though asbestos is such a deadly mineral, with several diseases linked directly to exposure to it, it is not banned in the United States, as well as many countries in the world. Only handful countries such as those in the European Union, Argentina, Chile, Croatia, Australia and Saudi Arabia have banned the use of asbestos totally. Because asbestos is so widely used in construction and other industries, even though it has been deemed a highly dangerous mineral, an outright ban has not been induced in the United States of America. Many countries involved in the mining and export of asbestos are vehemently against the ban of the mineral, because of its economic value.

Because many companies, even after knowing the dangers of asbestos, has continued to use and produce asbestos based materials in the production of various materials of commercial nature. This use of asbestos, in spite of knowing the dangers it brings with it has gone on through much of the 20th Century. As a result, millions of people worldwide are affected with asbestos based diseases, and mesothelioma, because of the direct result of being in jobs that required an exposure to asbestos over long periods of time. This is why in recent years, the companies which have knowingly endangered the lives of its workers are being held accountable and the victims of mesothelioma can get compensation from their companies if it was known by the company that it used asbestos minerals knowingly in its products.

In the present day, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have set limits for acceptable asbestos exposure levels in the workspace. It has also made up guidelines regarding the engineering control of the mineral, as well as the specifications of the protective equipments and warning signs at workplaces where asbestos exposure is expected.

Other causes

Although it is known that asbestos is the leading cause for a majority of the cases of mesothelioma, scientists and doctors have been unable to find any other substantial causes for the disease. It is, however, known that although smoking does not cause mesothelioma, it is known to aggravate a less serious asbestos related disease such as asbestosis and develop it into the onset of the cancer form, mesothelioma.

Also, the compounded effect of asbestos exposure as well as smoking is known to increase the risk of contracting lung cancer by as much as eighty four times. This is the reason that people known to be exposed to asbestos are highly advised not to smoke.

It is this reason that because asbestos is the sole known reason for causing mesothelioma, that this form of cancer is sometimes referred to as asbestos cancer.

Alternatives to Asbestos

Due to the dangers of the mineral asbestos, and the deadly effect it has had on millions of people throughout the 20th Century, plenty of alternatives to asbestos have been found and are being used now instead of the deadly mineral. Many of the alternatives are “green”, which means that they’re environmentally friendly as well as friendly to the people exposed to them and using them.

Most of these alternatives are used for buildings where fireproofing and insulation is required. Some such alternatives to asbestos which are much safer than the deadly mineral are Polyurethane Foams, Flour Fillers, Amorphous Silica Fabrics, Thermoset Plastic Flour, and Cellulose Fiber.

Spray polyutherane foams can be used on any and all building structures, and they are very safe because they do not emit any harmful gases or airborne fibres. This is a water based spray, known as icynene, is a very safe choice for homes because it forms a very tight seal and allows little space for mold. It is also known to be a very good energy saver, saving up to 40 % energy each year over its asbestos based counterparts. One small percentage of polyutherane foam is known to contain the toxic material PBDE (polybrominated dephenyl ethers). However most of the options available for use do not contain the toxic PBDE and are very safe.

Flour fillers are natural materials used as crevice and crack fillers, made and marketed by companies using natural materials with known insulating properties, such as pecan shell flour, rice hull ash, wheat flour as well as rice flour. Because these materials are natural, they are the most environmentally friendly one with no hazardous emission or harmful effects on the people. This option, however, is a little hard to come by, and has to be searched to be obtained. Once obtained, however, this is the best and “greenest” option for fillers with great insulation properties.

Amorphous Silica Fabrics have high insulation properties and are used in various protective applications in high end industries such as the aerospace industry, shipyards and electrical power generators. These materials contain fibre glass, and as such, are not used for residential applications. However, their use in the advanced high end industries has grown in recent years, and they have replaced several asbestos based solutions.

Thermoset plastic flour is basically thermally set plastics which are filled with cheap fillers such as wood flour which are known for their insulating properties, thus providing a low cost material with perfect balance of strength and insulation. This product is mainly used in the construction industry, for use in buildings for its low costs as well as its properties such as heat and sound insulation, energy saving and noise reduction properties. It has, in recent years, served as a replacement of asbestos based materials in the construction industry, and it is a much safer option that the deadly mineral group.

Cellulose fibre consists of finely cut newsprint which has been treated chemically to increase its fire resistance. Thus, it is made up of up to 85 % recycled material. This makes it another option that is very environmentally friendly. Cellulose fibre is one of the most popular replacements for the asbestos based minerals. It has been put to good use in the commercial and residential building market, and it is not at all harmful to people. These fibres are also shown to cut energy costs by about 20 per cent each year over their counterparts using asbestos based materials.

Thus, now that it is known that asbestos and minerals using asbestos is extremely harmful for human beings, alternatives to the mineral, both environmentally friendly and much better durable and with greater properties than asbestos itself, are beginning to be used in the place of the deadly mineral, and slowly and surely, asbestos use is on the decline. The companies which have used asbestos blatantly throughout the 20th Century for its great qualities, overlooking the health and condition of their workers, are slowly being brought to task thanks to many lawsuits and compensations they’re being forced to give their workers who have been unwillingly exposed to a deadly mineral, known to cause many diseases, including the deadly cancer form of mesothelioma.

Research is on going to diagnose the disease as early on as possible, and in that way, use all the resources and treatments available at hand to fight back against the disease. Although it is now known that asbestos is the leading cause of the disease, many countries still use the mineral, and research communities are getting the message across to everyone to stop the extended use and exposure to this deadly mineral, and instead, use other much “greener” options, which also have better properties than asbestos.

Since life expectancy isn’t high with people suffering from mesothelioma, it is important that they are compensated by the companies, under whom they were exposed to the deadly asbestos, leading to their contraction of the disease. Ever since the first lawsuit in 1929, many other lawsuits have been filed against companies for willingly exposing their workers to the asbestos group of minerals.

While the main cause of this rare form of cancer has been singled down to the mineral asbestos, many countries worldwide are trying to pass laws which ban the use of this mineral, thus saving the lives of thousands. However, asbestos still being a very economically profitable commodity, it continues to be used across the world, thus, still exposing people to the dangerous mesothelioma, as well as other diseases. Until and unless the use of asbestos is completely halted, the disease will continue to grow. Research groups around the world are trying to find a curative procedure to the disease which will not only extend the life expectancy, but also help patients be completely cured. With that effort, efforts are also ongoing to completely halt the use of asbestos, now that the deadly disease causing mineral is known to be so harmful.