Notable people who died from mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, though rare, has had a number of notable patients. Hamilton Jordan, Chief of Staff for President Jimmy Carter and life long cancer activist, died in 2008. Australian anti-racism activist Bob Bellear died in 2005. British science fiction writer Michael G. Coney, responsible for nearly 100 works also died in 2005. American film and television actor Paul Gleason, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Principal Richard Vernon in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, died in 2006. Mickie Most, an English record producer, died of mesothelioma in 2003. Paul Rudolph, an American architect known for his cubist building designs, died in 1997.
Bernie Banton was an Australian workers' rights activist, who fought a long battle for compensation from James Hardie after he contracted mesothelioma after working for that company. He claimed James Hardie knew of the dangers of asbestos before he began work with the substance making insulation for power stations. Mesothelioma eventually took his life along with his brothers and hundreds of James Hardie workers. James Hardie made an undisclosed settlement with Banton only when his mesothelioma had reached its final stages and he was expected to have no more than 48hrs to live. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd mentioned Banton's extended struggle in his acceptance speech after winning the 2007 Australian Federal Election.
Steve McQueen was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma on December 22, 1979. He was not offered surgery or chemotherapy because doctors felt the cancer was too advanced. McQueen sought alternative treatments from clinics in Mexico. He died of a heart attack on November 7, 1980, in Juárez, Mexico, following cancer surgery. He may have been exposed to asbestos while serving with the U.S. Marines as a young adult—asbestos was then commonly used to insulate ships' piping—or from its use as an insulating material in car racing suits. (It is also reported that he worked in a shipyard during World War II, where he might have been exposed to asbestos.)
United States Congressman Bruce Vento died of mesothelioma in 2000. The Bruce Vento Hopebuilder is awarded yearly by his wife at the MARF Symposium to persons or organizations who have done the most to support mesothelioma research and advocacy.
After a long period of untreated illness and pain, rock and roll musician and songwriter Warren Zevon was diagnosed with inoperable mesothelioma in the fall of 2002. Refusing treatments he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon focused his energies on recording his final album The Wind including the song "Keep Me in Your Heart," which speaks of his failing breath. Zevon died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on September 7, 2003.
Christie Hennessy, the influential Irish singer-songwriter, died of mesothelioma in 2007, and had stridently refused to accept the prognosis in the weeks before his death. His mesothelioma has been attributed to his younger years spent working on building sites in London.
Bob Miner, one of the founders of Software Development Labs, the forerunner of Oracle Corporation died of mesothelioma in 1994.
Scottish Labour MP John William MacDougall died of mesothelioma on August 13th, 2008, after fighting the disease for two years.
Canberra journalist and news presenter, Peter Leonard also succumbed to the condition on 23 September 2008.
Terrence McCann Olympic gold medalist and longtime Executive Director of Toastmasters, died of mesothelioma on June 7, 2006 at his home in Dana Point, California.

Is There Staging for Peritoneal Mesothelioma

There are currently no established staging systems for peritoneal mesothelioma and if peritoneal mesothelioma disease is staged it is quite normally done in accordance with the TNM system which is the most common general cancer staging system. This staging system generally refers to the status of the tumor, lymph nodes and the metastases. There are general categories that also may be somewhat helpful in determining the stage.

It is a very common misconception that mesothelioma disease is a type of primary lung cancer but it is not. Mesothelioma disease is a cancer of the serous membranes which enclose a number of the organs spread throughout the mid-area of the human body including the abdomen. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma and it affects the serous membranes of the lungs.
Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is found in 10% to 20% of the mesothelioma disease patients. The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos fibers are a very durable substabce and cannot be eliminated through the body's natuarl processes.
A more probable cause of mesothelioma disease is that the asbestos fibers were ingested. Asbestos mining and processing facilities had constant clouds of asbestos fibers floating around their properties. These asbestos fibers settled on the food of the workers and people living close by.

It is also well established that many of the clothing the workers wore became severely infiltrated with asbestos dust particles. This asbestos dust contaminated the kitchens of the workers while they were at home with their asbestos infested clothing.

Once the fibres lodged in the peritoneum the chronic inflammation process leading to cancerous growths was similar to what occurred in pleural mesothelioma

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a form of cancer in the lining of the human abdominal cavity and is less common than the pleural form of mesothelioma. The Peritoneal mesothelioma usually comprises of approximately 1/5 to 1/3 of the total number of mesothelioma cases which are diagnosed.

According to the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database, these peritoneal mesothelioma diagnoses are approximately 54.7% male versus 45.3% female and the median age being usually between 65 to 69 years of age.

The latency period for peritoneal mesothelioma appears to be much shorter for individuals exposed to asbestos and with symptoms appearing genereally 20 to 30 years after the initial exposure rather than the 30 to 40 year latency period which is more commonly associated with pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is a very rare form of mesothelioma cancer that will affect the mesothelial cells of the serous membranes in the human body. The most common form of malignent mesothelioma that affects the lining of the lung is called pleural mesothelioma. We are finding that about two or three thousand new cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed in North America each year.
Malignant mesothelioma generally affects the lining or the membranes of certain cavities in the human body. These particular cavities which are called the serous cavities house all certain major organs in the human body including but not limited to the heart, the lungs, the abdomen and others body parts.
The membranes that are surrounding these cavities are called the serous membranes and they serve to protect the major body organs from the friction and abrasions that occur as these organs rub against one another other during our typical daily movements like breathing and the beating of our heart.
The serous membranes derive from specialized cells called mesothelial cells. These mesothelial cells form to create the mesothelium which in turn is the major tissue layer of the serous membranes. The cancer that starts to occur in the mesothelium tissue is called mesothelioma disease.
There is an association between lung cancer & asbestos exposure and now it is very well established. In most studies of cancer there appears to be a preponderance of adenocarcinoma. Lung cancer in asbestos-exposed workers is usually thought to occur at a younger age than other types of lung cancers and these cancers are more commonly found in the lower lobes of the lungs.
There also is what is known as a "synergistic effect" between smoking & asbestos exposure thus the risk of getting lung cancer rises to dramatically high levels if the exposed person also smokes. It’s very simple that if you have been exposed to asbestos you should definitely stop smoking.
Quitting smoking may be the most important thing you do to improve your health and decrease your risk of getting mesothelioma disease.
The risk of non-cancerous asbestos-related diseases generally increases with increasing levels of exposure but this dose-response relationship is less clear for mesothelioma where even short-term occupational exposure or secondary household exposure may occur. Cigarette smoking has no relationship to mesothelioma at all. We are all exposed to asbestos in the air we breathe, however, these levels of mesothelioma are generally considered ok.
There has been no correlation drawn as to why the same set of circumstances and amounts of exposure to mesothelioma one person contracts and the person next to them does not. Nor why the more heavily mesothelioma exposed individual never contracts an asbestos-related disease but his wife will be diagnosed after washing his work clothing. Mesothelioma disease is a terrible and unfortunate one to get.

Mesothelioma for Patients

Five patients over the age of 40 with malignant mesothelioma of the pleura presented with a spontaneous pneumothorax in the course of five years. The diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma was not suspected at surgery but was made by histological examination of the pleurectomy specimens.

During this time 91 pleurectomies for recurrent pneumothorax were performed, 45 in patients over the age of 40; malignant mesothelioma therefore accounted for 11% of spontaneous pneumothorax requiring pleurectomy in this age group.

The association of spontaneous pneumothorax and malignant mesothelioma is not emphasised in current publications. These five cases highlight the need for all pleurectomy specimens in cases of spontaneous pneumothorax to be sent for histological examination and for a full occupational history to be taken, especially in older patients.
MIRG is an organization providing information patients suffering from mesothelioma and other related injuries. Families and loved ones. It is the aim of MIRG to provide information and news about the disease, its causes, its treatment and its personal and legal impact.

You will find the Mesothelioma News section current and covering a full range of topics. A mesothelioma diagnosis is overwhelming, and we are here to help you find the options that are best suited to your individual needs.

Mesothelioma is closely linked to exposure to asbestos. Around 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States every year. It's more common in older male adults; even though a mesothelioma diagnosis can come at any age, most people with mesothelioma are 65 and older.
In June 1997, Paul Kraus was diagnosed with mesothelioma and given only a few months to live.

He and his family were stunned by the shocking diagnosis, but they were not ready to give up. They researched different mesothelioma treatments for this cancer and learned about various conventional, integrative and alternative treatments.

From this knowledge, Mr. Kraus created his own path to heal his mesothelioma and ten years later, he is alive with a good quality of life.

Mesothelioma Legal issues

The first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929. Since then, many lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known (some reports seem to place this as early as 1898). Today, you may see a commercial stating something like, "Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos particles. Asbestos particles can be found in lumberyards, shipyards or any of the heating or automotive industries." The liability resulting from the sheer number of lawsuits and people affected has reached billions of dollars. The amounts and method of allocating compensation have been the source of many court cases, reaching up to the United States Supreme Court, and government attempts at resolution of existing and future cases. However, to date, Congress has failed to enact significant asbestos reforms.

Mesothelioma Lawyers

Malignant Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer known today - an deadly disease that claim the lives of thousands of wounded in the United States each year.

While medical science continues to develop amazing technology that prolongs many of the lives ravaged by this sinister condition, heal for malignant mesothelioma is motionless out of reach and the prognosis is always fatal.
For individuals suffering with asbestos related mesothelioma, there may be substantial compensation available if they act quickly to engage an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who is proficient in asbestos legal issues and proving asbestos exposure. Most often mesothelioma lawsuits end up with a settlement without ever going to trial or even into a court. In our experience, this is the preferred scenario for most families with a mesothelioma case.
Since the only known cause of mesothelioma in the United States is asbestos, the key to successful case is proving exposure to the product(s) responsible for the injury. That is why you need to hire an experienced asbestos related disease attorney.
Deciding to follow legal remedy and selecting a mesothelioma lawyer or attorney to represent you in a mesothelioma or asbestos lawsuit are important decisions that should be made carefully. Below are five tips to consider:

• You Were Probably Exposed to Asbestos
• Don't Wait to Discover Your Legal Options
• Don't Pick an Attorney Based Solely on TV Ads
• Make Sure You Understand Fees
• Find a Trusted Partner Who Cares

Mesothelioma Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

A procedure known as heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy was developed by Paul Sugarbaker at the Washington Cancer Institute. The surgeon removes as much of the tumor as possible followed by the direct administration of a chemotherapy agent, heated to between 40 and 48°C, in the abdomen. The fluid is perfused for 60 to 120 minutes and then drained.
This technique permits the administration of high concentrations of selected drugs into the abdominal and pelvic surfaces. Heating the chemotherapy treatment increases the penetration of the drugs into tissues. Also, heating itself damages the malignant cells more than the normal cells.

Mesothelioma Immunotherapy

Treatment regimens involving immunotherapy have yielded variable results. For example, intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in an attempt to boost the immune response, was found to be of no benefit to the patient (while it may benefit patients with bladder cancer). Mesothelioma cells proved susceptible to in vitro lysis by LAK cells following activation by interleukin-2 (IL-2), but patients undergoing this particular therapy experienced major side effects. Indeed, this trial was suspended in view of the unacceptably high levels of IL-2 toxicity and the severity of side effects such as fever and cachexia. Nonetheless, other trials involving interferon alpha have proved more encouraging with 20% of patients experiencing a greater than 50% reduction in tumor mass combined with minimal side effects.

Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the only treatment for mesothelioma that has been proven to improve survival in randomised and controlled trials. The landmark study published in 2003 by Vogelzang and colleagues compared cisplatin chemotherapy alone with a combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed (brand name Alimta) chemotherapy) in patients who had not received chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma previously and were not candidates for more aggressive "curative" surgery. This trial was the first to report a survival advantage from chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma, showing a statistically significant improvement in median survival from 10 months in the patients treated with cisplatin alone to 13.3 months in the combination pemetrexed group in patients who received supplementation with folate and vitamin B12. Vitamin supplementation was given to most patients in the trial and pemetrexed related side effects were significantly less in patients receiving pemetrexed when they also received daily oral folate 500mcg and intramuscular vitamin B12 1000mcg every 9 weeks compared with patients receiving pemetrexed without vitamin supplementation. The objective response rate increased from 20% in the cisplatin group to 46% in the combination pemetrexed group. Some side effects such as nausea and vomiting, stomatitis, and diarrhoea were more common in the combination pemetrexed group but only affected a minority of patients and overall the combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin was well tolerated when patients received vitamin supplementation; both quality of life and lung function tests improved in the combination pemetrexed group. In February 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved pemetrexed for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. However, there are still unanswered questions about the optimal use of chemotherapy, including when to start treatment, and the optimal number of cycles to give.
Cisplatin in combination with raltitrexed has shown an improvement in survival similar to that reported for pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin, but raltitrexed is no longer commercially available for this indication. For patients unable to tolerate pemetrexed, cisplatin in combination with gemcitabine or vinorelbine is an alternative, although a survival benefit has not been shown for these drugs. For patients in whom cisplatin cannot be used, carboplatin can be substituted but non-randomised data have shown lower response rates and high rates of haematological toxicity for carboplatin-based combinations, albeit with similar survival figures to patients receiving cisplatin.
In January 2009, the United States FDA approved using conventional therapies such as surgery in combination with radiation and or chemotherapy on stage I or II Mesothelioma after research conducted by a nationwide study by Duke University concluded an almost 50 point increase in remission rates.

Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy

For patients with localized disease, and who can tolerate a radical surgery, radiation is often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment. The entire hemi-thorax is treated with radiation therapy, often given simultaneously with chemotherapy. This approach of using surgery followed by radiation with chemotherapy has been pioneered by the thoracic oncology team at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. Delivering radiation and chemotherapy after a radical surgery has led to extended life expectancy in selected patient populations with some patients surviving more than 5 years. As part of a curative approach to mesothelioma, radiotherapy is also commonly applied to the sites of chest drain insertion, in order to prevent growth of the tumor along the track in the chest wall.
Although mesothelioma is generally resistant to curative treatment with radiotherapy alone, palliative treatment regimens are sometimes used to relieve symptoms arising from tumor growth, such as obstruction of a major blood vessel. Radiation therapy when given alone with curative intent has never been shown to improve survival from mesothelioma. The necessary radiation dose to treat mesothelioma that has not been surgically removed would be very toxic.

Mesothelioma Surgery

Surgery, by itself, has proved disappointing. However, research indiates varied success when used in combination with radation and cheemotherapy (Duke, 2008) A pleurectomy/decortication is the most common surgery, in which the lining of the chest is removed. Less common is an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), in which the lung, lining of the inside of the chest, the hemi-diaphragm and the pericardium are removed.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

A diagnosis of mesothelioma is most frequently obtained with careful appraisal of quantifiable and radiological findings in adding up to a confirming tissue biopsy. (Learn about typical mesothelioma symptoms.) A analysis of the patient's medical history, including history of asbestos exposure is taken, followed by a complete physical examination, x-rays of the chest or abdomen, and lung function tests. A CT scan or MRI may also be done at this time. If any of these preliminary tests prove suspicious for mesothelioma; a biopsy is necessary to confirm this diagnosis.
Mesothelioma is most often seen in patients with a history of smoking and asbestos exposure. The symptoms at the time of diagnosis often include pain and shortness of breath. Some patients with Mesothelioma have received monetary compensation from class action lawsuits.
Thoracoscopy: Sometimes there is no pleural fluid, or the pleural fluid does not give enough information to make the diagnosis. Physicians can do a thoracoscopy in those patients. A thoracoscopy allows the surgeon to place a camera in to the lining of the lung to directly visualize the mass and take a pleural biopsy to make the diagnosis.
A lot of people working for asbestos manufacturing companies have been exposed to the substance which then leads to Mesothelioma. Infect, once the symptoms are detected, the patient has a maximum life span of not more than 18 months. Yes, this is a very sad fact. So who is responsible for this?
A diagnosis of mesothelioma is obtained with assessment of clinical and radiological findings in addition to a tissue biopsy. A review of the patient's medical history, including history of asbestos exposure is taken. Along with the history, a complete physical examination, x-rays, and lung function tests is given. To support evidence of mesothelioma, a CT scan or MRI may also be given. If any one of these tests provide evidences of mesothelioma, then a biopsy will be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
If collection of fluids is present in the lungs or around the heart, then a procedure involving thin needle will be used to collect a small example of the fluid for examination. This procedure is called "fine-needle aspiration" may also be used to remove the collection of fluid to relieve symptoms.
Pathologically mesothelioma is a difficult diagnosis to make. A combination of rarity of mesothelioma combined with the resemblance of this cancer to lung cancer results misdiagnosis of many cases that may be mesothelioma. Pathological opinion of same tumor may different as seen by different pathologist especially when litigation and compensation issues are involved. It is to be emphasized that a substantial fraction of mesothelioma occurs in people who were never been exposed to asbestos and malignancies other than mesothelioma is common in those who have been exposed to asbestos.
A diagnosis of mesothelioma may not be suspected in a person who has no history of exposure to asbestos, and a diagnosis of mesothelioma may be over-zealously explored in a person who gives history of significant exposure to asbestos. A diagnosis of mesothelioma should not be assumed just because of an exposure history to asbestos is present. It is very important to exclude other less aggressive diseases before making a diagnosis of mesothelioma because in general these may be more amenable to treatment than mesothelioma.
Non-cancerous diseases like inflammatory and reactive processes can cause changes in the mesothelial cells and can resemble mesothelioma. Accurate diagnosis of mesothelioma is also very important in cases where litigation and attorneys are involved for compensation issues.

Mesothelioma Causes

Up to 9 out of 10 cases of mesothelioma are caused by revelation to asbestos. Asbestos is a natural mineral, mined from rock originate in lots of countries. It is made up of minute fibers that are as burly as steel but can be wicker like cotton and are highly defiant to heat and chemicals.
Before the 1980s, asbestos was imported to the UK in large quantities. It was used in construction, ship-building and in household appliances. When asbestos is disturbed or damaged, it releases tiny fibers that can be breathed into the lungs and cause swelling, a build-up of scar tissue (fibrosis) and sometimes cancer.
During the 1960s the initial definite link between mesothelioma and asbestos was made. Asbestos is now known to be the most common cause of the disease.
Family members of people who worked with asbestos and brought the dust home on their clothes have sometimes developed mesothelioma. There are three types of asbestos: blue, brown and white. Blue and brown asbestos, are most usually related with mesothelioma. They are now very rarely used and cannot be imported into the UK. At first, white asbestos was not thought to be unsafe but recent studies have now given away that it is also injurious. Mesothelioma does not usually develop until 10 to 60 years after exposure to asbestos and for this reason it is often difficult to discover the faithful cause.
Mesothelioma causes are limited to direct and inferior asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure is known to be responsible for a variety of health issues, including:
• Malignant mesothelioma
• Asbestos lung cancer
• Asbestosis
• Diffuse pleural thickening
• Fibrosis
Asbestosis fallout from the inhalation of respirable asbestos fibers (50 microns or more in length and 0.5 microns or less in diameter), which assume a longitudinal orientation in the airway and move in the direction of airflow. The fibers penetrate respiratory bronchioles and alveolar walls. Sources include the mining and milling of asbestos, the construction industry, and the fireproofing and textile industries. Asbestos was also used in the production of paints, plastics, and brake and clutch linings.
Inhaled fibers become enclosed in a brown, protein like sheath rich in iron (ferruginous bodies or asbestos bodies), found in sputum and lung tissue. Interstitial fibrosis develops in lower lung zones, causing obliterative changes in lung parenchyma and pleurae. Raised hyaline plaques may form in parietal pleura, diaphragm, and pleura contiguous with the pericardium. Asbestosis occurs in 4 of every 10,000 people.

Mesothelioma Environmental exposures

Incidence of mesothelioma had been found to be higher in populations living near naturally occurring asbestos. For example, in Cappadocia, Turkey, an unprecedented mesothelioma epidemic caused 50% of all deaths in three small villages. Initially, this was attributed to erionite, however, recently, it has been shown that erionite causes mesothelioma mostly in families with a genetic predisposition.

Asbestos in buildings

Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises prior to the banning of asbestos may contain asbestos. Those performing renovation works or DIY activities may expose themselves to asbestos dust. In the UK use of Chrysotile asbestos was banned at the end of 1999. Brown and blue asbestos was banned in the UK around 1985. Buildings built or renovated prior to these dates may contain asbestos materials

Mesothelioma Paraoccupational secondary exposure

Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibres, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.

MESOTHELIOMA ASBESTOS OCCUPATIONAL

Exposure to asbestos fibres has been recognised as an occupational health hazard since the early 1900s. Several epidemiological studies have associated exposure to asbestos with the development of lesions such as asbestos bodies in the sputum, pleural plaques, diffuse pleural thickening, asbestosis, carcinoma of the lung and larynx, gastrointestinal tumours, and diffuse mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum.
The documented presence of asbestos fibres in water supplies and food products has fostered concerns about the possible impact of long-term and, as yet, unknown exposure of the general population to these fibres. Although many authorities consider brief or transient exposure to asbestos fibres as inconsequential and an unlikely risk factor, some epidemiologists claim that there is no risk threshold. Cases of mesothelioma have been found in people whose only exposure was breathing the air through ventilation systems. Other cases had very minimal (3 months or less) direct exposure.
Commercial asbestos mining at Wittenoom, Western Australia, occurred between 1945 and 1966. A cohort study of miners employed at the mine reported that while no deaths occurred within the first 10 years after crocidolite exposure, 85 deaths attributable to mesothelioma had occurred by 1985. By 1994, 539 reported deaths due to mesothelioma had been reported in Western Australia.

Mesothelioma Exposure

Asbestos was known in antiquity, but it wasn't mined and widely used commercially until the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not publicly known. However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople. Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace, and created guidelines for engineering controls and respirators, protective clothing, exposure monitoring, hygiene facilities and practices, warning signs, labeling, recordkeeping, and medical exams. By contrast, the British Government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states formally that any threshold for mesothelioma must be at a very low level and it is widely agreed that if any such threshold does exist at all, then it cannot currently be quantified. For practical purposes, therefore, HSE does not assume that any such threshold exists. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure. Recent findings have shown that a mineral called erionite has been known to cause genetically pre-dispositioned individuals to have malignant mesothelioma rates much higher than those not pre-dispositioned genetically. A study in Cappadocia, Turkey has shown that 3 villiages in Turkey have death rates of 51% attributed to erionite related mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Risk factors

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure exists in almost all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. In rare cases, mesothelioma has also been associated with irradiation, intrapleural thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), and inhalation of other fibrous silicates, such as erionite.
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 noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the airways (lung cancer, bronchial carcinoma). The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of mesothelioma have resulted. Smoking modern cigarettes does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.
Some studies suggest that simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma.

MESOTHELIOMA EPIDEMIOLOGY INCIDENCE

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. The incidence rate is approximately one per 1,000,000. The highest incidence is found in Britain, Australia and Belgium: 30 per 1,000,000 per year. For comparison, populations with high levels of smoking can have a lung cancer incidence of over 1,000 per 1,000,000. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma currently ranges from about 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in industrialized Western nations, depending on the amount of asbestos exposure of the populations during the past several decades. It has been estimated that incidence may have peaked at 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004. Incidence is expected to continue increasing in other parts of the world. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. Approximately one fifth to one third of all mesotheliomas are peritoneal.
Between 1940 and 1979, approximately 27.5 million people were occupationally exposed to asbestos in the United States . Between 1973 and 1984, there has been a threefold increase in the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in Caucasian males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the death rate from mesothelioma in the USA increased from 2,000 per year to 3,000, with men four times more likely to acquire it than women. These rates may not be accurate, since it is possible that many cases of mesothelioma are misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is difficult to differentiate from mesothelioma.