How does Asbestos lead to Mesothelioma

Asbestos, while it appears solid, is actually composed of thousands of tiny fibers. These asbestos fibers are easily inhaled by a person working with or around them. When they are inhaled and work their way into the lungs, the body tries to break down and remove them, causing inflammation as the body tries to rid itself of these foreign particles.

Because they are so small, asbestos particles and dust reaches the smallest and most remote parts of the lungs. Once there, they cannot be coughed out unless they cling to the mucus in the air passages. Asbestos fibers can also settle in the tissue around the chest cavity (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). When this happens, they cause inflammation and lead to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, respectively.

Asbestos fibers in the lungs can damage the organs by forming scar tissue. Because of this, the risk of lung cancer is approximately seven times greater for people who have had asbestos exposure compared to people who have not had such exposure. For people with severe exposure to asbestos, three of the primary causes of death are 1) This scarring of the lungs (also known as asbestosis), 2) lung cancer and 3) mesothelioma.