Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of mesothelioma. A rare and aggressive cancer, malignant mesothelioma invades the mesothelium, which is the thin membrane that covers and protects the majority of the internal organs of the body. Composed of two different layers of cells, the mesothelium both surrounds the majority of internal organs and forms a sac around those organs.
Lung Cancer Asbestos Exposure
Almost 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States each year. Occurring more often in men and increasing in incidences with advancing age, mesothelioma is still a rare cancer.
Three-fourths of all cases of mesothelioma report a prior asbestos exposure. It is a well documented fact that working with asbestos is a major mesothelioma risk factor for mesothelioma. However, it is important to note that there are some cases of mesothelioma that report no known exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos has been used commercially since the late 1800s. We now know that since the 1940s millions of Americans have been exposed to asbestos. Although the harm caused by asbestos is not originally apparent, asbestos exposure often leads to serious, debilitating, and often fatal diseases, such as mesothelioma.
Initially the effects of asbestos exposure were not well known, however, it eventually became clear that shipyard workers, heating and air conditioning workers, asbestos mine workers and many others were developing mesothelioma at an alarming rate when compared to the standard population. Asbestos exposure turned out to be the common factor among all of these patients.
It is not just in the workplace, but asbestos exposure can also occur at schools, homes and even public buildings if asbestos products have fallen into disrepair or become damaged. The development of malignant mesothelioma is related to a variety of asbestos risk factors such as the amount of asbestos to which you were exposed and the total length of your exposure. There is no safe amount of asbestos exposure…don’t take the chance…avoid asbestos!
It is the knowledge that asbestos exposure can ultimately lead to the development of mesothelioma that first led to mesothelioma lawsuits. Because of the correlation between asbestos exposure and the failure of some employers to protect their workers from that exposure, many mesothelioma patients and their families working along with mesothelioma lawyers filed lawsuits for compensation based on the diagnosis of mesothelioma.
Asbestos is found in countless factories and industrial products. Items such as shingles, insulation, brake linings, cement, and flooring products are all manufactured using asbestos. Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers and can be separated into thin threads and woven.
Once these threads are woven, they can be used to develop many industrial products. There are literally thousands of commercial products that contain asbestos. It is a widely chosen material because of its strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat and chemicals. Asbestos also has a low electrical conductivity which also makes it a suitable choice of materials.
Lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma and other cancers can also be related to asbestos exposure. Although workers are now more protected in the workplace by organizations such as the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA), asbestos exposure will always be a serious health hazard.