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Posted on Friday, Apr 1, 2011

Risk of Developing Malignant Mesothelioma on the Rise

Mesothelioma, an incurable cancer of the lining of the lung and abdomen associated with asbestos exposure, is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year.  Although the use of asbestos has been curbed in the United States since the late 1970s, physicians report that the incidence of mesothelioma has been increasing in the United States and worldwide in recent decades. 

Researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center have just confirmed this in a recent study, and estimate that more than 20 million people in the United States are at risk of developing malignant mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure.

In addition, they reported in the March issue of the Journal of Cell Physiology that malignant mesothelioma mortality rates will increase 5 to 10 percent per year in most industrialized countries until about 2020. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), asbestos causes approximately half of all deaths from occupational cancer.

Symptoms of mesothelioma typically appear 20 to 50 years after exposure, making it difficult for many patients to recall when they may have inhaled asbestos fibers. Many factors determine whether someone will develop mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease when exposed to the toxin. These factors include how much asbestos and the duration of the exposure, the type of asbestos and primary means of contact with it, age, sex, family traits, smoking history and general health.

The researchers note that the incidence of malignant mesothelioma among men has continued to rise during the past 50 years, while the incidence among women has stayed largely unchanged. Men are more likely to be at risk for asbestos-related diseases due to employment in hazardous occupations including insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, auto mechanics, refinery and factory workers and shipyard workers, where asbestos exposure is most likely.

The researchers estimate that 50 to 80 percent of cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma diagnosed in men are linked to asbestos exposure and 20 to 30 percent of cases in women.

The researchers say that erionite is another potent cancer-causing mineral fiber, capable of causing pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma. Since erionite is considerably less widespread than asbestos, the number of cases of malignant mesothelioma associated with erionite is smaller.