What Causes Mesothelioma

You may we wondering what causes mesothelioma? Here we have tried to bring some information that will suprise you.

At some point in our lives, almost all of us have been exposed to asbestos in the air we breathe and the water we drink; from natural deposits in the earth, and from the wear and tear of asbestos products around us. Most of us, however, do not become ill as a result of our exposure. So, what causes mesothelioma?

Generally, those who at some point are diagnosed with asbestos disease have worked in jobs where more substantial asbestos exposure occurred over longer periods of time. However, cases of mesothelioma have been recognized as the result of lesser exposure, affecting family members of workers who came into contact with asbestos and brought it home on their clothing, skin or hair, or affecting those who lived in close proximity to asbestos manufacturing facilities. Symptoms of asbestos disease typically are not be apparent until decades after exposure.

Asbestos was used commercially in North America as early as the late 1800s, but its use increased radically during the World War II era when shipyards produced massive numbers of ships for the war effort. Since that time, products containing asbestos were used by the construction and building trades, the automotive industry and the manufacturing business. With all mentioned above, more than 5,000 products contained asbestos.

For more than 50 years, products containing asbestos remained unregulated, and the manufacturers of those products continued to flourish, knowing full well that many of the millions of workers who came into contact with their products would eventually be ill with asbestos disease as the result of their actions. Finally, in the late 1970s, the Consumer Products Safety Commission prohibited the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and artificial ash for gas fireplaces because the fiber could easily be released during use.

In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency prohibited all new use of asbestos, but uses established prior to that time were still permitted. Although awareness of the dangers of asbestos disease and public fear over the issue have led to a decline in domestic utilization over the years, a total ban on asbestos has not come to fruition. Asbestos is still imported, still used and still unsafe. Now that you know what causes mesothelioma, be aware of the things that surrounds you. Although it is not safe, try to minimize your asbestos exposure if you can't avoid it.

Even though it is suggested that the number of mesothelioma cases in the U.S. has reached its peak and has begun to drop, a forecast released by the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), in April, 2003, estimated the total number of American male mesothelioma cases from 2003-2054 to be around 71,000. This number, still, does not take into consideration events such as the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001, when millions of New Yorkers were potentially exposed to air filled with carcinogenic asbestos particles. When the latency period for asbestos disease is factored in, cases of mesothelioma will continue to be diagnosed for years to come.