Asebestos Exposure

The only known cause of mesothelioma cancer is from regular or prolonged exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of mesothelioma may arise after years of exposure to asbestos. Men develop symptoms of mesothelioma more often than women. It is believed that the symptoms and following mesothelioma cancer arise more often because more men have been exposed to asbestos on their job site, usually industrial areas. Asbestos exposure occurs when the asbestos fibers become airborne and are inhaled or ingested and become lodged in the tissue. This causes inflammation or infection and can develop into mesothelioma.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. Because of its fiber strength and heat resistant properties, asbestos has been used for a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings.

How Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma

When asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed by repair, remodeling or demolition activities, microscopic fibers become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause significant health problems.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of:

• lung cancer;
• mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity; and
• asbestosis, in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue.

The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater if you smoke. People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of mesothelioma do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos. Seek an asbestos or mesothelioma attorney if you believe you have been unduly exposed to asbestos.