Posts Tagged ‘asbestos fibers’

Mesothelioma cancer is directed specifically to the mesothelial cells. Mesothelioma typically attacks the thin membrane lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart, known as the mesothelium. It is estimated that 2000-3000 new cases of mesothelioma occur each year. Mesothelioma Symptoms typically occur 20 to 50 years after exposure, making it difficult to diagnose many inactive cases in the country.

Causes

Mesothelioma cancer is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos. The exact way in which asbestos causes mesothelioma is still under investigation, medical professors have four different theories:

Once that is inhaled asbestos can stay within the organs of the body causing the cells to mutate and become cancerous.

* Asbestos causes irritation and inflammation of the mesothelial cells, which results in irreversible scarring, cellular damage and eventually cancer.
* Asbestos fibers enter the cells and alters the function of cellular structures that are essential for normal cell division, causing cell changes that lead to cancer.
* Asbestos causes radical production. These molecules causes damage to DNA and causes cells to become cancer cells.
* The presence of asbestos causes the cells to produce oncoproteins. These molecules cause mesothelial cells ignore the normal restriction of cell division, and this can lead to cancer.