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Risk Factors
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos is linked to several serious diseases including:
Asbestosis. -- a non-cancerous condition caused by exposure to asbestos whereby scar tissue progressively develops on the lungs which causes shortness of breath and subsequent heart problems. (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment)
Mesothelioma. -- a cancer of the cells that make up the lining around the outside of the lungs and inside the ribs or around the abdominal organs.
Pleural Disease. -- the formation of "plaques" on the lungs or thickening of the lung pleura and is proven to be associated with exposure to asbestos.
Lung Cancer. -- often associated with exposure to asbestos. Death from lung cancer is about seven times more likely to occur among asbestos workers than among the general population.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven.. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney. Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.