Five Facts You Should Know about Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly disease. As such, not many people are aware of it. To help increase awareness of this disease, here we have five facts about this deadly disease. You can inform your family members and friends about these facts and increase awareness of it. Alright. Let’s start.

Fact #1: What Mesothelioma Is

It is a form of cancer which affects mesothelium cells. The mesothelium is the lining that protects organs inside the chest, cardiac cavity, and abdomen. The disease can occur in any of those three places and is called differently depending on where it occurs: pleural if it happens in the chest area, pericardial if it happens in the areas around the heart and peritoneal if it happens in the abdomen area.

Fact #2: It Is Caused by Asbestos Exposure

That’s right. The cancer is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is dangerous when it is broken, as the fibers can be inhaled and/or ingested. The problem is that these fibers are microscopic. It cannot be seen with naked eye. When the fibers are inhaled and/or ingested, they damage the mesothelium. Later on, they may cause cancer.

Fact #3: Asbestos Exposure Is Dangerous Regardless of Its Amount

Yes, asbestos exposure is dangerous. It doesn’t matter whether the exposure level is low or high, asbestos can cause damage to mesothelium which may lead to cancer. That being said, minimizing any exposure to asbestos should be done. You can’t be too careful here.

Fact #4: It Has a Long Latency Period

The latency period of mesothelioma is quite long. Meaning, the gap between initial exposure and diagnosis can span decades. In fact, the average latency period is between 35 and 40 years. Among other asbestos-related diseases, this cancer has the longest latency period.

Fact #5: Asbestos Can Be Found Almost Everywhere, Even In Nature

The last mesothelioma facts are that the cause of the cancer, asbestos, can be found almost everywhere. Asbestos, before it was known to pose a health risk to human, was used for literally thousands of products. Over 3,000 products, including household products and building materials, contain or are made of asbestos. You may found some of these products in your house.

Even after it was banned, asbestos can be found almost everywhere due to its widespread use prior to the ban. If a house is built before the 1970s, it is likely that that house has asbestos-containing materials and/products inside.  The same can be said for just about a lot of public buildings, particularly ones that were built before1970s.

More surprisingly, asbestos can be found in nature as well. At first, asbestos is known to be a fibrous mineral, which is mined for various purposes. Recently, however, it was found that there is naturally occurring asbestos due to geological processes. Because of this, some unexpected exposure may happen.

These are five things you should know about mesothelioma. While this cancer is deadly, it is preventable. Since it is a preventable disease, it will be great if more people are aware of it so they can avoid things that can cause the disease like asbestos. We hope this helps in increasing awareness of this disease.

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