There are large number of risk factors for mesothelioma. A risk factor is the factor that increases the chance that a person may develop a disease. Having a high risk factor does not guarantee a person will develop mesothelioma, it only increases the chance of developing it.
Some of the main risk factors are :
1.Asbestos Exposure
2.Smoking and Asbestos Exposure
3.Radiation
4.Zeolite
5.SV40 Virus
1.Asbestos Exposure:
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.
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 non-cancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
It generally takes 20-50 years for mesothelioma symptoms to present themselves after a person is exposed to asbestos.
2.Smoking and Asbestos Exposure
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.However, the combination of tobacco smoking and exposure to asbestos can greatly increase the risk factor for developing mesothelioma. According to the American Cancer Society, no studies currently link smoking alone to mesothelioma.
3.Radiation
There have been a few published reports of pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas that developed following exposure to thorium dioxide (Thorotrast). This material was used in the past by doctors for certain x-ray tests. Because Thorotrast was found to cause cancers, it has not been used for many years.
4.Zeolite
This is a silicate mineral, chemically related to asbestos, common in the soil of the Anatoli region of Turkey. Many cases of mesothelioma have been described in this region and may have been caused by this mineral.
5.SV40 Virus
Some recent studies have raised the possibility that infection with simian virus 40 (SV40) might increase the risk of developing mesothelioma. Some injectable polio vaccines prepared between 1955 and 1963 were contaminated with SV40. About 10 to 30 million people were probably exposed to the virus.
Intentional infection with SV40 of some laboratory animals, such as hamsters, causes mesotheliomas to develop. Researchers also have noticed that SV40 can cause mouse cells grown in dishes to become cancerous, and that asbestos increases the cancer-causing effect of SV40 on these cells. Other researchers have studied biopsy specimens of human mesotheliomas and detected SV40 DNA. However, similar fragments of SV40 DNA can also be found in noncancerous human tissues and some researchers think the SV40 viruses found are contaminants.
Another study did find SV40 virus in tissues from mesothelioma patients that did not appear to be contaminants. In this study, which also looked at tissue from healthy people, the SV40 virus wasn’t linked to mesothelioma unless the person was also exposed to asbestos. The researchers in this study thought the SV40 infection was not caused by the polio immunization, but occurred naturally as do other viral infections.
So far, the largest studies addressing this issue in humans have not found any increased risk for mesothelioma or other cancers among people who received the contaminated vaccines as children. But, the peak age range for diagnosis of mesothelioma is 50 to 70 years. Some researchers have pointed out that this issue may remain unresolved until more of the people accidentally exposed to SV40 between 1955 and 1963 reach that age range. Research into this important topic is still underway.
A recent study by the Institute of Medicine concluded that we still don’t know whether SV40 is responsible for some mesotheliomas and more research needs to be done.
Keep in mind that mesothelioma is a very slow moving disease. People usually do not develop symptoms for decades after being exposed to asbestos.
Some of the main risk factors are :
1.Asbestos Exposure
2.Smoking and Asbestos Exposure
3.Radiation
4.Zeolite
5.SV40 Virus
1.Asbestos Exposure:
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.
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 non-cancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
It generally takes 20-50 years for mesothelioma symptoms to present themselves after a person is exposed to asbestos.
2.Smoking and Asbestos Exposure
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.However, the combination of tobacco smoking and exposure to asbestos can greatly increase the risk factor for developing mesothelioma. According to the American Cancer Society, no studies currently link smoking alone to mesothelioma.
3.Radiation
There have been a few published reports of pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas that developed following exposure to thorium dioxide (Thorotrast). This material was used in the past by doctors for certain x-ray tests. Because Thorotrast was found to cause cancers, it has not been used for many years.
4.Zeolite
This is a silicate mineral, chemically related to asbestos, common in the soil of the Anatoli region of Turkey. Many cases of mesothelioma have been described in this region and may have been caused by this mineral.
5.SV40 Virus
Some recent studies have raised the possibility that infection with simian virus 40 (SV40) might increase the risk of developing mesothelioma. Some injectable polio vaccines prepared between 1955 and 1963 were contaminated with SV40. About 10 to 30 million people were probably exposed to the virus.
Intentional infection with SV40 of some laboratory animals, such as hamsters, causes mesotheliomas to develop. Researchers also have noticed that SV40 can cause mouse cells grown in dishes to become cancerous, and that asbestos increases the cancer-causing effect of SV40 on these cells. Other researchers have studied biopsy specimens of human mesotheliomas and detected SV40 DNA. However, similar fragments of SV40 DNA can also be found in noncancerous human tissues and some researchers think the SV40 viruses found are contaminants.
Another study did find SV40 virus in tissues from mesothelioma patients that did not appear to be contaminants. In this study, which also looked at tissue from healthy people, the SV40 virus wasn’t linked to mesothelioma unless the person was also exposed to asbestos. The researchers in this study thought the SV40 infection was not caused by the polio immunization, but occurred naturally as do other viral infections.
So far, the largest studies addressing this issue in humans have not found any increased risk for mesothelioma or other cancers among people who received the contaminated vaccines as children. But, the peak age range for diagnosis of mesothelioma is 50 to 70 years. Some researchers have pointed out that this issue may remain unresolved until more of the people accidentally exposed to SV40 between 1955 and 1963 reach that age range. Research into this important topic is still underway.
A recent study by the Institute of Medicine concluded that we still don’t know whether SV40 is responsible for some mesotheliomas and more research needs to be done.
Keep in mind that mesothelioma is a very slow moving disease. People usually do not develop symptoms for decades after being exposed to asbestos.
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