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what is mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer which can be dormant for 30 to 50 years
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer typically caused by regular and unprotected exposure to asbestos. Malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, which is a thin membrane that surrounds most of the internal organs of the body. It typically affects major organs of the body like the heart, stomach and lungs.
In a typical case of malignant mesothelioma the cells of the mesothelium tend to become abnormal and divide without control or order. These cancer cells can permeate into other parts of the body, and infest and destroy its tissues and organs.
Mesothelioma typically affects the pleura, the outer lining of the lungs; however, cases of infection in the peritoneum, the lining of the stomach and the pericardium, a sac surrounding the heart, have also been seen. According to statistics, for every person diagnosed with peritoneum mesothelioma there will be about 12 people diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma.
Asbestos poisoning is the primary reason for the cause of asbestos. 70% to 80% of people diagnosed with mesothelioma have either worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust or fiber in other ways, like washing clothes of a family member who works with asbestos or by home renovation utilizing asbestos cement products.
According to some researchers the virus, SV40, may also be a factor in the development of mesothelioma. Cigarette smoking also leads to an increased risk of lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases. However, it hasn't been found to be a direct contributor to mesothelioma, although if a person has been exposed to asbestos and smokes cigarettes, they are susceptible to contracting mesothelioma.
According to the National Cancer Institute, every year approximately 2000 to 3000 new cases of malignant mesothelioma are being reported in the US. For every 100,000 people, 1.8 in the US and 0.9 worldwide are believed to be suffering from mesothelioma.
The incidence of the disease has risen significantly in the past 30 years, and is expected to go further up. Mesothelioma is three times more common in men than in women, and its incidence is ten times higher among men in their 60s rather than those in their 40s.
Eighty million people in the US have succumbed to the disease due to occupational exposure to asbestos over the past fifty years. Advancements have been made in this direction; however, there is no cure yet, essentially because its symptoms can take anything between 20 to 50 years to surface. The life expectancy after being diagnosed with mesothelioma is found to be less than a year.
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