Causes of Mesothelioma
The main cause of all types of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. According to majority of analyzes asbestos is the cause of about 80% of all cases of mesothelioma, while some experts assume that the percentage of patients who developed mesothelioma because of exposure to asbestos would be even higher if the connection with asbestos would be better researched.
Asbestos, a naturally occurring fibrous mineral was widely used in variety of different industries in the 20th century but asbestos products were mainly manufactured for the construction industry due to its outstanding resistance to heat, electricity and chemical damage. Use and manufacture of asbestos products reached its peak in the 1970's but after the discovery of its harmful effects on human health use and manufacture of asbestos were banned in many countries in the 1980's, while many countries followed in the 1990's. How exactly asbestos causes mesothelioma is not well understood but there is no doubt that heavy exposure to asbestos greatly increases the risk of asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma.
The main problem of asbestos are its invisible airborne fibers which can be inhaled or swallowed without being aware of it, while asbestos fibers remain in the body for years. In the lungs and other areas the asbestos fibers cause chronic inflammation which eventually results excessive scaring that increases with the amount of inhaled asbestos fibers. However, asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma do not depend on the amount of inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers and theoretically one asbestos fiber can cause mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases. Swallowed asbestos fibers are theoretically less harmful because they could be eliminated through the gastrointestinal tract in compare with inhaled fibers which remain in the organism. Unlike lung cancer, there is no direct connection between smoking and mesothelioma although experts assume that smokers who were exposed to asbestos are in higher risk of developing mesothelioma and cancer of air passageways and lungs.