Can malignant mesothelioma be prevented?

Being exposed to asbestos is by far the biggest risk factor for mesothelioma, so the best way to reduce your risk is to limit your exposure to asbestos in homes, in public buildings, and at work. 

People who might be exposed to high levels of asbestos at work include some miners, factory workers, insulation manufacturers and installers, railroad and automotive workers, ship builders, gas mask manufacturers, and construction workers. If there is a chance of on-the-job exposure, such as during the renovation of old buildings, then you should use all protective equipment and safety procedures designed for working around asbestos. 

Older homes may have insulation containing asbestos or other materials. A knowledgeable expert can check your home to find out if there is any asbestos and whether it poses any risk of exposure. This may mean testing the air for asbestos levels. Just because asbestos exists in a home does not necessarily mean that it needs to be removed. As long as the material is not damaged or disturbed, for example by drilling or remodeling, the fibers will not be released into the air. If asbestos needs to be removed from your home, you should hire a qualified contractor to do this to avoid contaminating your home or causing any exposure to your family or to the workers. You should not attempt to remove asbestos-containing material yourself.

Do we know what causes malignant mesothelioma?

Cancers, including mesotheliomas, occur when cells in the body suffer damage to their DNA. DNA is the chemical in each of our cells that makes up our genes - the instructions for how our cells function. We usually look like our parents because they are the source of our DNA. But DNA affects more than how we look. Some genes control when cells in the body grow and divide into new cells. Changes in these genes may cause cells to grow out of control, which can lead to cancer.

Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma. After these fibers are breathed in, they travel to the ends of small air passages and reach the pleura, where they can damage mesothelial cells. This leads to inflammation and scarring. This may damage cells’ DNA and cause changes that result in uncontrolled cell growth. If swallowed, these fibers can reach the abdominal cavity where they have a role in causing peritoneal mesothelioma.

But most people exposed to asbestos, even in large amounts, do not get mesothelioma. Other factors, such as a person’s genes, may make them more likely to develop mesothelioma when exposed to asbestos. For example, researchers have found that some people who seem to be at high risk have changes in BAP1, a gene that normally helps keep cell growth under control. Other genes are probably important as well.

What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma?

A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can't be changed.

But risk factors don’t tell us everything. Having a known risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will get the disease. And some people who get the disease may have few or no known risk factors.

Researchers have found some factors that increase a person's risk of mesothelioma.

Asbestos

The main risk factor for developing mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. In fact, up to 3 of every 4 cases of mesothelioma have been linked to asbestos exposure. Most often, people are exposed in the workplace.

Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers. These fibers, found in soil and rocks in many parts of the world, are made of silicon, oxygen, and other elements.

What is malignant mesothelioma?

Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer that starts in cells in the linings of certain parts of the body, especially the chest cavity or abdominal cavity..

A layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells lines the inside of the chest, the abdomen, and the space around your heart. These cells also cover the outer surface of most of your internal organs. The lining formed by these cells is called the mesothelium.

The mesothelium helps protect your organs by making a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move. For example, this fluid makes it easier for your lungs to move (expand and contract) inside the chest when you breathe. The mesothelium has different names in different parts of the body:

• The pleura coats the lungs and the cavity containing the lungs in the chest.
• The peritoneum coats the abdominal cavity and many of the organs within that cavity.
• The tunica vaginalis coats the testicles.
• The pericardium coats the heart and creates the cavity that holds the heart in the chest.

Mesothelial tumors can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). 

Mesothelioma Staging

There are four primary stages of mesothelioma doctors use to identify the seriousness of a mesothelioma diagnosis. Mesothelioma staging is labeled I, II, III or IV. The lower the number, the more treatment options you have, and the better your chances are for long-term survival.

Staging is an accepted way for cancer doctors to describe to patients – and to one another – how advanced the disease is, how prevalent tumors are and how far the cancer has spread. Given the aggressive nature of the cancer, mesothelioma staging is a key part of proper diagnosis and treatment.

Why? Because knowing where a cancer is in its development sets the table for treatment, what's possible and what's not. Doctors determine if someone can have surgery and, if so, what kind.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Cancer specialists utilize a number of diagnostic tools to accurately confirm mesothelioma, including blood tests such as MESOMARK and SOMAmer panel, imaging tests such as MRIs, CT scans, PET scans, X-rays and biopsies to investigate cancerous growth in tissue samples.

There is no clear path to a mesothelioma diagnosis for every patient. Because the disease is so rare and has such common symptoms, doctors sometimes confuse it for a less-serious illness or a different type of cancer.

Pinpointing the disease involves several procedures, including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, biopsies and PET scans. Each of these tests is performed by a different medical professional, and most people get their diagnosis within two or three months from the time they notice their symptoms.

Diagnosing the cancer in its earliest stages supports a wider range of treatment possibilities that could extend your life expectancy. So it's important you start looking for a mesothelioma expert.