Risk Factors For Mesothelioma

Working with asbestos is a significant risk of mesothelioma. The history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70-80 percent of cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some patients with no history of exposure to asbestos.

There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust home on clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the risk of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.

Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. But the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the lung (see Causes of lung cancer).

Understanding The Mesothelium

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of living. It consists of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ, the other bag around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid released from these layers, so that moving parts (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The mesothelium has different names depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane surrounding the lungs and lines the chest cavity wall, while the pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis and the tunica serosa of the uterus covers the internal reproductive organs in women.