Mesothelioma Causes

Mesothelioma is most frequently caused by exposure to asbestos. 
Many people with mesothelioma have worked or lived in places where they have inhaled or swallowed asbestos.  This can also include living with someone who has worked around asbestos.  After being exposed to asbestos, it may take a while for mesothelioma to occur, but working and living with asbestos can be a risk.

After these fibers are breathed in, they travel to the ends of small air passages and reach the lung lining where they damage mesothelial cells. The damage they cause is through inflammation and scarring as well as stimulating the growth of these cells.  They may damage DNA and cause changes that result in uncontrolled growth.  In addition, they also cause injury to lung cells that can result in lung cancer and/or asbestosis (replacement of lung tissue by scar tissue). If swallowed, these fibers can reach the abdominal cavity where they have a role in causing stomach mesothelioma.

Researchers are studying exactly how asbestos causes mesothelial cells to develop into mesothelioma.

The risk of developing a mesothelioma is related to how much asbestos a person was exposed to and how long this exposure lasted.  People exposed at an early age, for a long period of time, and at higher levels are most likely to develop mesothelioma.

Mesotheliomas take a long time to develop.  The time between first exposure to asbestos and diagnosis of mesothelioma is usually between 20 and 50 years.