Mesothelioma causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Fatima Shaukat, MD [2]Parminder Dhingra, M.D. [3]

Overview

Common causes of mesothelioma include asbestos-fibre exposure, erionite-fibre exposure, Simian virus 40, radiation exposure and genetic predesposition[1][2]

Causes

Mesothelioma is caused by:[1][2]

Asbestos

  • The strongest and most common cause for mesothelioma is occupational exposure to asbestos, which has been widely used in building materials and many industries.[1]
  • Asbestos is naturally occurring group of mineral consisting of very fine,long and thin fibers.
  • Being so fine, they can be inhaled easily and may be lodged in the smallest airways of the lung and the mesothelium, eventually leading to pleural mesothelioma.
  • Sometimes, instead of inhalation, the fibers are coughed up and swallowed. This way they can settle in the peritoneum to cause peritoneal mesothelioma.
  • According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Toxicology Program, all forms of asbestos are known to cause cancer. Most people with mesothelioma have a history of asbestos exposure.
  • Mesothelioma has a long latency period, which means it usually doesn’t develop for 15–40, or more, years after exposure to asbestos.
  • There are 2 types of exposure to asbestos:
    • Direct exposure affects people who come into contact with asbestos directly. This may include:[1] [3]
      • Asbestos mines/mills workers
      • Asbestos products/asbestos-based products producers
      • Construction workers, carpenters and painters
      • Shipyard workers
      • Cement manufacturers
      • Insulation workers
      • Electricians and heating tradespeople
      • Plumbers
      • Demolition workers
      • Automotive industry workers, including brake and clutch repair workers
    • Indirect exposure affects people who come in contact with asbestos in other ways. This may include:[1]
      • Family members who are exposed to asbestos from fibres brought home on a worker’s clothing
      • People who live in or near an asbestos factory or mine
  • The risk of developing mesothelioma is related to how much asbestos a person was exposed to and how long the exposure lasted.
  • People exposed at an early age, for a long period of time and to greater amounts of asbestos are more likely to develop mesothelioma.
  • Occasionally, mesothelioma develops in people who have never been exposed to asbestos.[4]

Erionite

  • Erionite is another naturally occurring mineral, happens to be a known human carcinogen associated with development of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma.
  • The group of minerals, erionite belongs to is called zeolites.[1]
  • Zeolites are chemically related to asbestos and erionite has asbestos-like fibres.
  • Erionite is common in the soil in parts of Turkey and materials made with erionite are used in construction in these regions.
  • High rates of mesothelioma in these areas are due to exposure to this mineral.[1]

Ionizing Radiation

People who have been treated with radiation therapy to the chest or abdomen for lymphoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, or other cancers can cause mesothelioma.[1] Although the risk of mesothelioma is higher in people who have been treated with radiation therapy, mesothelioma is likely to occur in only a very small number of these people. There have been reports linking mesothelioma to Thorotrast (thorium dioxide). Thorotrast is a contrast medium once used for imaging tests, but it is no longer used.[1]

Simian virus 40:

Infection with SV40 may cause mesothelioma. Between 1955 and 1963, some polio vaccines were contaminated with SV40, which may have contributed to some cases of mesothelioma. It is thought that SV40 may act as a co-factor with asbestos in causing mesothelioma.[1]

Genetic predesposition

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Risk factors for mesothelioma. Canadian cancer society 2016. http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/mesothelioma/risks/?region=on. Accessed on February 8, 2016
  2. 2.0 2.1 Testa JR, Cheung M, Pei J, Below JE, Tan Y, Sementino E; et al. (2011). "Germline BAP1 mutations predispose to malignant mesothelioma". Nat Genet. 43 (10): 1022–5. doi:10.1038/ng.912. PMC 3184199. PMID 21874000.
  3. Gennaro V, Finkelstein MM, Ceppi M, Fontana V, Montanaro F, Perrotta A; et al. (2000). "Mesothelioma and lung tumors attributable to asbestos among petroleum workers". Am J Ind Med. 37 (3): 275–82. PMID 10642417.
  4. Henderson DW, Rödelsperger K, Woitowitz HJ, Leigh J (2004). "After Helsinki: a multidisciplinary review of the relationship between asbestos exposure and lung cancer, with emphasis on studies published during 1997-2004". Pathology. 36 (6): 517–50. PMID 15841689.


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