This article looks a little bit closer at the risk factors for mesothelioma. There are various forms of cancers with different kind of risk factors. We all know that smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer, or being exposed for too long and too often to sunlight, might increase the likelihood of getting skin cancer. And a proven mesothelioma risk factor, is being exposed to asbestos.
Of course, that doesn't mean that everybody who got in contact with the material automatically develops the disease. But as implied by the term, being exposed to this toxic material is one of the risks of mesothelioma.
Let's look at a few numbers. In 7-8 out of ten cases of newly diagnosed patients, the risk of mesothelioma development can be clearly linked to asbestos. Up until the mid 1980, this inexpensive and highly heat resistant material was widely used by all different types of construction and building industries. So when we talk about who has a higher risk for mesothelioma, it is clear that typically former workers of the asbestos industry rank high up there. There were in daily contact with the hazardous material and often inadequately protected. As the employees trimmed and cut the asbestos, the toxic fibers and microscopically small particles got airborne and were breathed in by everybody who was present at the scene.
So basically anybody who was working in a construction, roofing, house siding, fireproofing an insulation kind of business, was exposed to that material on a daily basis.
And between 1975 and 1984, more and more people got diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer that is often already at an advanced stage when it is being detected. That's because of the latency time. Many victims were in contact years or even decades back ago - and therefore at a higher mesothelioma risk - before they exhibited the first symptoms of the disease. Due to massive education and informational campaigns, the numbers of new diagnoses seem to decline. Some industries stopped to use asbestos in their portfolio completely. Others are now - enforced by the law - providing their workers with state of the art protection gear.
But regular homeowners might be also at a high mesothelioma risk, especially if their house was built before 1960. Therefore, it is recommended to have asbestos testing done if you are concerned that you and your family might be exposed to asbestos. But please don’t try to do the testing yourself. It is safer and you get more reliable results, if you hire a professional asbestos testing company.
