Asbestos Lung Mesothelioma

Asbestos lung mesothelioma is a rare cancer that can develop in special lubricating cells that form a supporting sac around the lungs. It can take between 10 and 60 years to develop, but usually averages 30 to 50 years before victims notice enough symptoms to see a physician.
Despite its name, it is not actually lung cancer as the lung tissue is not the primary site of malignancy. Instead, it is the supporting tissue around the lungs that becomes cancerous. This tissue around the lungs accounts for around 75% of the diagnosed cases, but similar tissue around other organs can also be primary sites of cancer initiation.
Currently there are between two and three thousand new cases diagnosed in the United States each year (U. S. National Cancer Institute, 2002).
This condition accounts for approximately 75% of the cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
Asbestos is a mineral deposit having the quality of heat insulation. It was used extensively throughout the world over the last century in the military, building construction, and consumer products until it was banned for carcinogenic effects. People can be exposed in the community, at work, in schools, at home, or even from the clothing of others who have been exposed. It is likely that most people have been exposed at some time in their lives.
This mineral's composition creates a quality that is very friable. It breaks into chunks and then disintegrates easily. This allows microscopic particles to rise into the air where they will float undetected for long periods of time.
People can inhale these mineral particles without knowing it. The microscopic particles travel through the lungs, through the alveolar air sacs, and end up in the supporting lung tissue. They are impossible to remove, so the mineral particles stay there for life. They can slowly cause malignant cancer.
This condition is currently considered incurable. Usually there are very few symptoms until the later stages when the cancer has metastasized. After diagnosis, survival time averages between one and two years.
Early detection offers great advantages. It is always recommended that people who suspect they might have had some environmental exposure find a physician with specialized training to monitor their condition as soon as possible.
Treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.
After decades of experience, medical research is now focusing on slowing or preventing the progression of this cancer. By learning all the biochemical pathways involved in the initiation, progression, and proliferation of cancer, scientists hope that they can find ways to change how cancer develops.
Since asbestos lung mesothelioma can take decades to develop into the fatal malignant state, there is hope that finding more early interventions will allow people to live normal lives. Researchers are exploring new therapies including natural substances that have shown positive laboratory findings in cancer prevention.