Rochester New York Mesothelioma Attorneys > About Mesothelioma

About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. This deadly disease occurs when malignant cells develop in the lining of the chest cavity, abdominal cavity or the cavity around the heart. There is a latency period of approximately ten to fifty years after the initial exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma. Symptoms of mesothelioma are just beginning to surface for many workers who worked during the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s in shipyards, power plants and in industries that used asbestos in their manufacturing process.

Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the thin membrane lining the lungs, is the most common form of the disease. Asbestos fibers become lodged in the pleural membrane as they are inhaled and travel through the lung. The exact mechanism that causes mesothelioma is still being researched by scientists, but it is believed that asbestos fibers cause damage to the cells of the pleural membrane which cause it to thicken and fluid to develop. A tumor forms as these cancerous cells continue to divide and multiply inside the pleural lining.

Individuals who have worked with and inhaled asbestos fibers for a prolonged period of time can develop mesothelioma. However, there are instances of individuals who were diagnosed with mesothelioma many years after a short, intense encounter with asbestos during employment at a summer job. Additionally, there are accounts of secondary exposure involving wives who were exposed to asbestos while laundering their husbands’ work clothing, and of children who were exposed to asbestos dust on the clothing of a family member. Two important factors relative to asbestos-related diseases are duration and intensity of exposure. Smoking does not cause mesothelioma.