Asbestos was used as a popular product in the manufacturing of several items and the building of home for many years. The use of asbestos in the United States began before the start of the 1900’s. The use of asbestos only increased as industry began to peak in the country. Many more items were being made in which the use of asbestos was being found to be helpful sine it is both heat and chemical resistant.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma

The use of asbestos became wide spread in manufacturing and in home construction as a form of insulation during the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. The high use of asbestos continued well into the 1970’s. More recently, the use of asbestos has tapered off. This is because a scientific link was discovered which showed asbestos as the cause of the cancer Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer which develops in and around the lungs of people who have been exposed to asbestos fibers. An individual can inhale the asbestos fibers and many of them can become lodged in the lungs. After the fibers are trapped in the lungs they can develop into cancer 15 to 40 years after the initial exposure.

Tumors Development and Smoking

Those who have Mesothelioma have tumors which have developed in the linings which surround the lungs, called the pleura. Once the tumors have developed they start to grow very quickly and often spread into the linings of other major organs in the body. After the cancer has first diagnosed, life expectancy is only 1 to 2 years.

People who have worked or lived in asbestos contaminated environments and are smokers have a higher risk of developing Mesothelioma. They also tend to develop the cancer in fewer years after exposure in comparison to non-smokers. This is thought to be because Mesothelioma begins as a lung cancer caused by the asbestos fibers trapped in the lungs. When the harmful carcinogens from cigarette smoke enter into the lungs, it works with the asbestos to create cancerous cells in the body.

Mesothelioma Drug Treatment

Those who discover that they have Mesothelioma are generally put onto a regimen of drugs to help them slow the formation of the cancerous tumors thus increasing the individual’s life expectancy. If the individual is a smoker and does not quit after the cancer has been discovered it can render the drugs useless.

There are several experimental drugs which are being developed to slow the spread of Mesothelioma. There are also several drugs being tested in conjunction with the research for finding a cure for this cancer. People who smoke are usually not eligible to be put in these drug trials and thus lose the chance to possibly extend their life expectancy with the help of these drugs.

While it is a good idea for anyone to quit smoking those who have been exposed to asbestos in the past have even more incentive to stop. It is said that those who have the asbestos fibers in their lungs and do not smoke can delay the development of cancer for a longer period of time.