Asbestos Fibers and Meso

It’s amazing how some of the small things in life can cause such a big problem. The opposite can also be true. A small thing can cause something big and good to come about. In the case of cancer, it is tiny little cells that cause a tremendous problem within the body. These cells multiple out of control and form harmful tumors. These tumors can often cause additional problems when the cancer moves to multiple locations in the body.

Like many other cancers, mesothelioma is started with something extremely small—a fiber. The main cause of mesothelioma in people around the world is over exposure to a mineral known as asbestos. Don’t be fooled. This mineral is not good for your body. Unfortunately, people before 1970 thought that asbestos had no problems and they used it in the production of insulation, vinyl flooring and a variety of other products. The wide spread use of asbestos during that time period led to a lot of people being exposed to asbestos. The fibers that make up this mineral, however, are toxic.

When the fibers are jarred loose, they get into the air and roam around freely. When people come in contact with loose asbestos fibers, they can easily breathe them in. Once they are in your lungs, they can begin to develop and over a long period of time, become mesothelioma.