Asbestos and Cancer
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with
mesothelioma or another asbestos related cancer, you
may want to seek legal advice. Typical legal
settelements can reach five million dollars.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of
cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found
in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most
of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop
mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled
asbestos particles.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma (cancer of the
mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the
mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control
or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues
and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread)
from their original site to other parts of the body.
Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or
peritoneum.
How common is mesothelioma?
Although reported incidence rates
have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is
still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases
of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States
each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than
in women and risk increases with age, but this disease
can appear in either men or women at any age.
What are the risk factors for
mesothelioma?
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.
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. Asbestos has been widely used in
many industrial products, including cement, brake
linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles,
and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in
the air, especially during the manufacturing process,
they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause
serious health problems. 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.
The mesothelium is a membrane that
covers and protects most of the internal organs of the
body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer
immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac
around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating
fluid that is released between these layers, allowing
moving organs (such as the beating heart and the
expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily
against adjacent structures.
The mesothelium has different names,
depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum
is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the
organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the
membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall
of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and
protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding
the male internal reproductive organs is called the
tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri
covers the internal reproductive organs in women.
