Causes Of Mesothelioma
According to researchers, several factors might become the cause of mesothelioma cancer. However, the exact mechanism of how these factors lead towards cancer is still unknown. The studies confirm that cancer, including mesothelioma, occurs when there is some damage to the DNA present in cells. The changes in the genetic material or genes present in cells lead to faulty cell formation or tumor cell growth. The study indicates that the condition of mesothelioma can transfer from one generation to another and can pose harmful effects in the coming generations too.
While there might be many factors involving in the cause of mesothelioma but asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma in the majority of the patients, which gives this cancer the name of asbestos mesothelioma. There might be other reasons, too, behind the cause of mesothelioma like radiation exposure in some patients also become the cause of mesothelioma. The radiation exposure one receives during the cancer treatments can enter the cells and damage the genetic material of the cells, thus leading to cancerous cell production. Following is the description of some causes behind the development of mesothelioma cancer:
Asbestos exposure
Asbestos exposure is one of the leading causes of mesothelioma cancer development all over the globe. According to studies, around 8 out of every ten mesothelioma patients confess that they suffer from asbestos exposure, which further confirms that the asbestos exposure becomes the culprit of causing mesothelioma. When a person inhales asbestos from his surroundings, the asbestos fibers travel from the tiny air passageways and get to the pleura. After reaching the pleura, the asbestos fibers cause severe scarring and inflammation of the lungs. The asbestos fibers also damage the DNA of the cells and cause mutations in the genes, which lead to abnormal cell growth causing cancerous tumor production.
The asbestos fibers travel towards the abdomen or lungs, depending on the route of their entrance and reach the mesothelium. If a person swallows the asbestos fiber, then it reaches the abdominal lining and causes damage there; after reaching the abdominal lining, the asbestos fiber cause peritoneal mesothelioma. The mesothelium is the protective layer of cells surrounding several organs like the heart, lungs, abdomen, and the testicles in the body. The asbestos fibers reach out to different body organs and lodge into their respective mesothelium, causing different types of mesothelioma.
It is important to understand that mesothelioma occurs after decades of asbestos exposure and does not happen overnight. The people who work at asbestos processing plants and in the mines of asbestos are more prone to suffer from mesothelioma as the exposure is significantly higher than other populations. The people who reside in areas contaminated with asbestos or in the localities near asbestos mines are also in danger of developing mesothelioma. The military troops serving on facilities or shops with asbestos are also at risk of asbestos exposure.