Mesothelioma - Cancer that Strikes 40 Years Later

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.

In his article called Knee Deep in Asbestos, freelance writer Phil Jones relates how when he was a teenager he worked for a brief time in an asbestos mine in the Yukon. One of the features of daily life was the constant presence of asbestos dust in the air. As Jones writes,

There were employees that worked in the mill whose sole job was to sweep up the dust that fell on the floor. There was so much of it that this was a constant ongoing job. The asbestos dust in the mill actually fell almost like snow and covered the floor completely. Without sweepers there would probably have been several inches of asbestos dust on the floor within an hour or so. In fact, I remember seeing sweepers go by pushing their wide brooms and the new dust settling onto the floor behind them as they walked.

This story illustrates a number of the more sinister aspects of the whole mesothelioma story.

First, over the course of many decades, countless workers were placed in work environments where they were exposed to high levels of asbestos fibre with little protection. Their exposure to asbestos fibres was constant and often took place over a very long period of time - in most cases, over many years.

Second, the owners and managers of these work places were often either unaware of the risk of mesothelioma, or they actively attempted to hide or cover up those risks.

Third, since the effects of exposure to asbestos fibre often do not become apparent for 30 or 40 years after prolonged exposure, there often appeared to be no immediate health risk in these work environments. This made it very difficult for workers or their representatives to make a convincing case that worker health was being sacrificed on the altar of corporate profit.

For more information about mesothelioma, the causes of mesothelioma, the effects of mesothelioma, and the legal courses of action open to mesothelioma victims, visit Mesothelioma Advisors.

Rick Hendershot is a writer and founder of the Linknet Publishing Network. To learn how you can benefit from original articles, and posted around the web, see our program called the Linknet Promote with Articles Program.

In The News:


British Lung Foundation Targets DIY Home Renovators to Prevent Mesothelioma
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The campaign called “Take 5 and Stay Alive,” is aimed at preventing DIYers from becoming victims of lung disease, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis, caused by asbestos exposure. According to the BLF, nearly 4000 Britains die each year ...
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Mesothelioma Risk Depends on Asbestos Fiber Size
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Such reactions are believed to be the same mechanism by which asbestos fibers may trigger malignant mesothelioma in the pleural membrane around the lungs. Although scientists have long known that the affects of fibers depends on their length, ...


ALEC Puts the Screws to Asbestos Victims
JD Supra (press release)
Asbestos is still legal in the US Every year, 9000 Americans are stricken with asbestos-related illnesses, like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, according to the Environmental Working Group. Workers who have been most exposed include ...


Burton Mail

Orthopaedic surgeon killed by mesothelioma
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... he removed a boiler packed with white asbestos. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Geoffrey Newton died at the Royal Derby Hospital's Nightingale Macmillan Unit aged 81, almost two years after he was diagnosed with lung-lining disease mesothelioma.

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Daily News - Galveston County

Genetic susceptibility to mesothelioma
Daily News - Galveston County
About 3000 people die of mesothelioma every year, nearly half within one year of diagnosis. The main cause of this cancer is asbestos, a fibrous material that gets inhaled into the lungs. The National Institutes of Health estimates 11 million people ...
New Biomarker Raises Hope of Early Detection, Treatment of MesotheliomaAlbany Times Union

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Finding the Mesothelioma Asbestos Connection
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Even though the cause of mesothelioma – exposure to asbestos – is well-known, it is not always easy for a mesothelioma patient to find his or her own 'asbestos connection'. For people who worked in asbestos-filled job environments, such as asbestos ...


Mesothelioma.com

Unsafe Asbestos Conditions Prompt Worker Strike
Mesothelioma.com
... fear for their health every time they are exposed to hazardous asbestos and not provided with protective gear such as respirators, which will prevent them from inhaling dangerous dust and fibers that can later cause lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Asbestos Workers Strike over Safety and Wage ConcernsAsbestos.com

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Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Patients To Get Boost From Research by “Young ...
MesotheliomaHelp.net (blog)
Pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and is found in the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium. While pleural mesothelioma affects the outer lining of the lungs, lung cancer is a ...
New Biomarker Raises Hope of Early Detection, Treatment of MesotheliomaVirtual-Strategy Magazine

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