What Is Mesothelioma?

This is a question that I didn’t know the answer to until recently when I was researching google adwords on the internet.

Basically Mesothelioma is a type of cancer.  It is a cancer made up of mesothelial cells. These cells cover the outer surface of nearly all our internal body organs. They form a lining that is usually called the mesothelium. 

Mesothelioma causes the most problems in the chest and the abdomen. In the chest the tissues lining the lungs are called the pleura and when they become infected it is known as pleura mesothelioma. This is serious because it is so close to the heart.

Mesothelioma in the abdomen is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. This form of the disease is not as common as chest form but equally as dangerous as it can spread easily to other organs.

How Common Is Mesothelioma?

Although quite a rare form of cancer, most people will recognize it when I mention that it is mostly caused by exposure to Asbestos. In the UK over 2100 people have been diagnosed with the cancer and four times more men than women have got it. This is probably due to most people getting it from Asbestos exposure as work.

The bad news is that the number of cases of mesothelioma in the UK is expected to rise over the next 20 years. This is because of the heavy use of asbestos within industry from the end of the 2nd World War up until the mid 1970’s.

Many people who develop mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure may be eligible for compensation.  If you think you have symptoms relating to this cancer or have worked with Asbestos, you should talk to a solicitor about this as early as possible. 

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is an insulating material that is heat and fire resistant.  Asbestos was widely used in the Building industry, Ship building industry, Manufacture of household appliances, Motor industry, Power stations and Telephone exchanges.

That is why most cases of this cancer are found in men. They are the people who would have worked in these industries.

Mesothelioma may not develop until around 15 - 40 years after you have been exposed to Asbestos, which is why tests are showing an increase in cases now.  The number of cases is expected to peak around 2020 and then start to decline.

Return from What Is Mesothelioma to Mark's Blog

Return from What Is Mesothelioma to Homepage