Mesothelioma is an aggressive, rare type of cancer that can develop in the linings of your heart, lungs and abdomen. The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to the toxic substance asbestos. After the diagnosis, the average life expectancy for mesothelioma patients is about 12 to 21 months. Some of the symptoms can be shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue and chest pain. 

The cause of Mesothelioma is inhaling the small, dangerous fibers of asbestos. It is a very careful type of cancer, yet very deadly.  How it works is that when you inhale asbestos fibers they lodge themselves in the lining of the lungs, after this happens it can cause some cellular changes that can eventually lead to developing cancer. Any house or any workplace that has any possibility of containing asbestos, is dangerous because it gives anyone there a higher risk of developing mesothelioma. 

Even though asbestos is the leading cause to Mesothelioma, it actually only accounts for about 90% of the cases of mesothelioma. Researchers have found that there are other risk factors that greater the chance of getting mesothelioma, they just haven’t yet been totally figured out. In the past, some of the cases of mesothelioma show that there could possibly be a connection between mesothelioma and something called simian virus 40. Multiple studies have shown that there is a correlation between people who have that virus and people who develop mesothelioma. Further investigation is still needed before they are where there is a connection between the two. 

Other than staying away from asbestos the only other way we can truly prevent the disease is having a better understanding of it and promoting awareness to improve treatments and detections. 

The mesothelium is the more specific area where Mesothelioma develops. A thin membrane encompassing the body’s organs and cavities. It can often take from 10-50 years for the symptoms to manifest, and this makes it difficult to find the precise cause and makes it difficult to have earlier detection of mesothelioma. 

Asbestos is most commonly found in the workplace, although it can also occur in homes, construction sites, schools, and many other places. 

There have also been many cases of what is called secondhand exposure. This is when family members have collected very very small asbestos fibers into their clothing and materials over the day and then other members of their family inhale them later. It can also be found in some household items, like potting soil, paina and talcum powder. It is very important to know and understand the dangers of it and when and why you may be at a high risk for asbestos exposure. 

In most cases, when the asbestos fibers are inhaled and then they become embedded in the lining of the abdomen, heart or lungs, it causes inflammation that will eventually lead to mesothelioma tumors forming. 

It is generally understudy by researchers that asbestos can and will cause damage to DNA, directly and indirectly. When it is damaged directly, asbestos will interfere in the mitosis process in the cell division, this can cause mutation and cellular damage. When DNA is damaged indirectly by asbestos, asbestos causes some mesothelial cells to release some nitrogen and mutagenic reactive oxygen, this also can cause mutation.