How many people get mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is fairly rare. There are about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma each year
in the United States. The rate of mesotheliomas in the United States increased from the
1970s to the early 1990s and since then has slowly decreased. These changes have largely
been seen in men, and are thought to be linked to changes in workplace exposures to
asbestos (see "What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma?"). The rate of
mesothelioma is lower in women and has been fairly steady for some time. Mesothelioma
is more common in whites and Hispanics/Latinos than in African Americans or Asian
Americans.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
A risk factor is anything that affects a person's chance of getting a disease such as cancer.
Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be
controlled. Others, like a person's age or family history, can't be changed. But risk factors
don't tell us everything. Having a 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
risk factors.
Researchers have found some risk factors that increase a person's risk of mesothelioma.
Asbestos
The main risk factor for mesothelioma is contact with asbestos. In fact, most cases of
mesothelioma have been linked to asbestos in the workplace. Asbestos is a group of
minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers.
In the past, asbestos was used in insulation, and in other things like floor tiles, door
gaskets, roofing, patching compounds, and more. Since asbestos is a natural mineral, it
can also be found in dust and rocks in certain parts of the United States. Most asbestos
use stopped after 1989, but it is still used in some products.
When asbestos fibers are breathed in, some can travel to the ends of the small air
passages and reach the lining of the lungs. There they can damage the cells lining the
lungs and, with time, lead to pleural mesothelioma. If swallowed, these fibers can also
reach the lining of the abdominal cavity (belly) where they play a part in causing
peritoneal mesothelioma.
People who may be at risk for asbestos exposure include some miners, factory workers,
makers of insulation, railroad workers, ship builders, gas mask makers, and construction
workers. Studies have shown that family members of people exposed to asbestos at work
have an increased risk of mesothelioma, too, because asbestos fibers are carried home on
the clothes of the workers.
Asbestos was used in the insulation of many older homes and public buildings around the
country, including some schools. Because the asbestos is contained within the building
materials, a large amount is not likely to be found in the air. The risk is thought to be
much less unless the asbestos is somehow released into the air, such as when building
materials begin to rot over time, or during remodeling or removal.
The risk of getting mesothelioma depends on how much asbestos a person was exposed
to and for how long. Mesotheliomas take a long time to develop. The time between the
first exposure and finding the disease is often between 20 and 50 years. Also, once you
have been exposed to asbestos, the risk of mesothelioma appears to be lifelong and it
does not go down over time. To learn more, see our document called Asbestos.
Other risk factors
Radiation: There have been a few published reports of mesotheliomas that developed
after exposure to high doses of radiation to the chest or abdomen as a treatment for
another cancer. But this is very rare. There is some evidence linking thorium dioxide
(Thorotrast) to mesothelioma. Thorotrast was once used in certain x-rays. It has not been
used for many decades.
SV40 virus: Some studies have suggested that infection with simian virus 40 (SV40)
might increase the risk of mesothelioma. Some polio vaccines made between 1955 and
1963 were contaminated with SV40. Research into this is still going on.
Age: Mesothelioma is rare in people under age 45. The chance of having it goes up with
age. About 3 out of 4 people with mesothelioma are over 65 years old.
Gender: The disease affects men about 4 times more often than women. This is most
likely because men more often worked in jobs with heavy exposure to asbestos.
Can mesothelioma be prevented?
The best way to lower your risk of this disease is to avoid contact with asbestos in homes,
public buildings, and at work. People who could be exposed to asbestos at work include
miners, factory workers, insulation workers, railroad workers, ship builders, makers of
gas masks, and construction workers.
If there is a chance of exposure, say, in fixing up old buildings, then workers should take
special measures to protect themselves. If you live in an older home, there may be
asbestos in the insulation or in other materials. An expert can check your home to see if
there is any danger. Even if asbestos is in the materials used to build the home, it may not
pose a danger if the materials are in good condition. If you decide to have the asbestos
removed, you should hire a qualified person to do this job. You should not do it yourself.
Mesothelioma is fairly rare. There are about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma each year
in the United States. The rate of mesotheliomas in the United States increased from the
1970s to the early 1990s and since then has slowly decreased. These changes have largely
been seen in men, and are thought to be linked to changes in workplace exposures to
asbestos (see "What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma?"). The rate of
mesothelioma is lower in women and has been fairly steady for some time. Mesothelioma
is more common in whites and Hispanics/Latinos than in African Americans or Asian
Americans.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
A risk factor is anything that affects a person's chance of getting a disease such as cancer.
Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be
controlled. Others, like a person's age or family history, can't be changed. But risk factors
don't tell us everything. Having a 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
risk factors.
Researchers have found some risk factors that increase a person's risk of mesothelioma.
Asbestos
The main risk factor for mesothelioma is contact with asbestos. In fact, most cases of
mesothelioma have been linked to asbestos in the workplace. Asbestos is a group of
minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers.
In the past, asbestos was used in insulation, and in other things like floor tiles, door
gaskets, roofing, patching compounds, and more. Since asbestos is a natural mineral, it
can also be found in dust and rocks in certain parts of the United States. Most asbestos
use stopped after 1989, but it is still used in some products.
When asbestos fibers are breathed in, some can travel to the ends of the small air
passages and reach the lining of the lungs. There they can damage the cells lining the
lungs and, with time, lead to pleural mesothelioma. If swallowed, these fibers can also
reach the lining of the abdominal cavity (belly) where they play a part in causing
peritoneal mesothelioma.
People who may be at risk for asbestos exposure include some miners, factory workers,
makers of insulation, railroad workers, ship builders, gas mask makers, and construction
workers. Studies have shown that family members of people exposed to asbestos at work
have an increased risk of mesothelioma, too, because asbestos fibers are carried home on
the clothes of the workers.
Asbestos was used in the insulation of many older homes and public buildings around the
country, including some schools. Because the asbestos is contained within the building
materials, a large amount is not likely to be found in the air. The risk is thought to be
much less unless the asbestos is somehow released into the air, such as when building
materials begin to rot over time, or during remodeling or removal.
The risk of getting mesothelioma depends on how much asbestos a person was exposed
to and for how long. Mesotheliomas take a long time to develop. The time between the
first exposure and finding the disease is often between 20 and 50 years. Also, once you
have been exposed to asbestos, the risk of mesothelioma appears to be lifelong and it
does not go down over time. To learn more, see our document called Asbestos.
Other risk factors
Radiation: There have been a few published reports of mesotheliomas that developed
after exposure to high doses of radiation to the chest or abdomen as a treatment for
another cancer. But this is very rare. There is some evidence linking thorium dioxide
(Thorotrast) to mesothelioma. Thorotrast was once used in certain x-rays. It has not been
used for many decades.
SV40 virus: Some studies have suggested that infection with simian virus 40 (SV40)
might increase the risk of mesothelioma. Some polio vaccines made between 1955 and
1963 were contaminated with SV40. Research into this is still going on.
Age: Mesothelioma is rare in people under age 45. The chance of having it goes up with
age. About 3 out of 4 people with mesothelioma are over 65 years old.
Gender: The disease affects men about 4 times more often than women. This is most
likely because men more often worked in jobs with heavy exposure to asbestos.
Can mesothelioma be prevented?
The best way to lower your risk of this disease is to avoid contact with asbestos in homes,
public buildings, and at work. People who could be exposed to asbestos at work include
miners, factory workers, insulation workers, railroad workers, ship builders, makers of
gas masks, and construction workers.
If there is a chance of exposure, say, in fixing up old buildings, then workers should take
special measures to protect themselves. If you live in an older home, there may be
asbestos in the insulation or in other materials. An expert can check your home to see if
there is any danger. Even if asbestos is in the materials used to build the home, it may not
pose a danger if the materials are in good condition. If you decide to have the asbestos
removed, you should hire a qualified person to do this job. You should not do it yourself.
