Mesothelioma and Asbestos

While a rare disorder in the general population, mesothelioma is not rare among individuals exposed to asbestos. There are two to three thousand new diagnoses of the cancer every year.

Exposure to asbestos is the only confirmed cause of mesothelioma, and most people diagnosed with the disease were exposed to asbestos in the workplace and were never told of its dangers or given proper protective gear. Others were exposed through family members who brought asbestos home on their clothes or through home renovation projects. Unlike many other predominantly pulmonary-related cancers, cigarette smoking has no known causative effect on its incidence, although asbestos workers who smoke do have a much greater likelihood to develop lung cancer, even more so than regular smokers who don’t work with asbestos.

One of the most difficult aspects of the disease to come to terms with is its long latency period, which is the period of time between first exposure to asbestos and the onset of the disease. Mesothelioma can develop anywhere between 10 to 70 years after the initial exposure.

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Mesothelioma of the Peritoneum

The peritoneum is a membranous layer that is made up of two sub-layers called the parietal and visceral layers. The parietal layer covers the abdominal cavity, while the visceral layer surrounds abdominal organs. Together these two layers provide support and protection for abdominal organs and the abdominal cavity as a whole.

There are two main theories regarding how asbestos exposure leads to the development of peritoneal mesothelioma:

Asbestos fibers are ingested, and these fibers work their way from digestive organs into the peritoneal membrane.
Asbestos fibers are inhaled, and travel to the peritoneal membrane via the lymphatic system.



Regardless of how asbestos fibers actually enter the peritoneal layers, once they do enter the membrane, the body experiences difficulty in expelling them. The fibers become trapped in the peritoneal membrane, and over a period of two or more decades, cause certain changes in the mesothelial cells of the peritoneum.

The exact way in which asbestos fibers cause changes in these mesothelial cells is uncertain. However, some researchers believe asbestos fibers cause long-term inflammation and irritation that eventually causes mesothelial cells to become cancerous. Cancerous mesothelial cells divide and grow without restraint, and this uncontrolled cell growth causes thickening of the peritoneum, and the build-up of fluid in the peritoneal layers.

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