Frequently Asked Questions: Information for Families
My father has just been diagnosed with mesothelioma. How did he get it?
Most reported cases of mesothelioma involve individuals that have had jobs where they were exposed to asbestos particles or the dust and fibers from asbestos. Additionally, a person who launders the clothing of an individual who works around asbestos also runs the risk of developing mesothelioma. Although there is no association between the disease and smoking, tobacco smoking increases the risk of developing cancers that are asbestos related.
There are numerous reasons why your father may have developed mesothelioma. However, the primary risk of developing it stems from the prolonged exposure to asbestos. So if he worked on jobs where exposure to asbestos occurred, this is probably the reason he developed the disease. In the U.S., asbestos is indisputably associated with the development of mesothelioma and is considered the primary cause of the disease.
