Causes of Mesothelioma
Cancer in general is caused by a mutation of the genetic code of a specific cell or type of cell in the body. This mutation causes the cell or group of cells to behave oddly or badly and eventually this mutation causes the mutated cell to reproduce at an uncontrolled rate which causes a tumor. Because mesothelioma is a cancer, this same process applies. The difference in types of cancer is commonly the cause of the mutation. In mesothelioma, the overwhelming majority of cases are caused by asbestos. Asbestos is the impetus for gene mutation leading to mesothelioma.
While it is possible that there are other potential causes of mesothelioma, so far the only cause of mesothelioma in humans that doctors and scientists have managed to identify is the mineral asbestos. The connection between mesothelioma and asbestos was first discovered when workers in a number of fields who had all been exposed to asbestos started being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Asbestos miners, factory workers, shipyard workers, and construction workers were and are the most likely individuals to develop the disease and were also among the earliest recognized victims.
Asbestos causes mesothelioma when its tiny fibers get into the lining of the lungs and the lining found around other organs in the body. While it is there, the body naturally gets irritated by the intruding mineral fibers and attempts to get rid of it. When it is unsuccessful, the fibers injure the cells around them. This injury allows various portions of the fiber to get inside and interrupt the cell’s ability to heal itself in its original structure. With time and continual irritation, the genes are altered and mesothelioma is the result.
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