How is mesothelioma relevant today?

Mesothelioma (mez-uh-thee-lee-O-muh) is a type of cancer that can be either malignant or benign.  The malignant type of mesothelioma is the most hazardous form of cancer and is deadly in most cases.  This cancer affects the tissue known as the mesothelium, which protects the heart, stomach, lungs, and other organs by making a special fluid that allows the organs to move. 

This type of cancer is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos.  Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that is a known carcinogen.  This fiber consists of long, thin fibrous crystals and may be mixed with other substances in order to resist heat, electricity and chemical damage.  Due to these characteristics, asbestos was used in many buildings and other structures throughout the 1900s.  One estimation is that up to 80 percent of all buildings constructed before 1978 had asbestos within the design. 

So if asbestos is a well known poison, and is no longer used in today’s structures, why would mesothelioma be relevant today? The buildings that contained asbestos are still in existence and many of them, especially those that were made before the 1970s, are undergoing vast renovations. During the renovation or demolition process, the asbestos fibres are released into the air.  From there they can be breathed into the lungs, causing untold damage. Especially in today’s recession, people are more apt to conduct their own renovation projects, rather than contracting professionals.  Yet exposure to asbestos, even for brief periods, can be very dangerous – especially without proper precautions.

Mesothelioma is also relevant today because of its long latency period. Due to the way it forms, the cancer may not manifest until anywhere between 20 to 50 years after the initial asbestos exposure.  Mesothelioma is rare in people under the age of 55; three-fourths of people diagnosed with mesothelioma are over the age of 65. 

Early diagnosis increases the effectiveness of treatment but unfortunately, even the symptoms of mesothelioma that do appear early can mimic those of other ailments, like emphysema or even influenza. Scientists are scrambling to unlock the technological advances that can help in the detection and treatment of this aggressive cancer, but there’s no way to turn back the clock and prevent exposure that may have happened decades ago.

Even people who did not work directly with asbestos can be at risk for mesothelioma. There have been cases, including a recent landmark lawsuit in Australia, involving caretakers of asbestos workers who contracted the disease simply by repeated secondary exposure to the carcinogen, such as washing contaminated clothes.

While asbestos is no longer widely used or considered a "miracle fibre," as it was in days gone by, it still lingers in the infrastructures of the past and is still very present in today’s society. 

(Source: The Asbestos and Mesothelioma Cancer Resource Center: July 2009)