Question about Mesothelioma?
Jul 10, 2010 in
Mesothelioma FAQs
Can you get Mesothelioma Lung Cancer from other ways than being exposed to harmful chemicals?
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3 comments
Mary Boo on July 10, 2010 at 11:38 am
What causes non-small cell lung 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. Several factors can increase the risk of lung cancer.
Smoking is by far the leading risk factor for lung cancer. Tobacco smoke causes more than 8 out of 10 cases of lung cancer. The longer a person has been smoking and the more packs per day smoked, the greater the risk. If a person stops smoking before lung cancer develops, the lung tissue slowly returns to normal. Stopping smoking at any age lowers the risk of lung cancer.
Cigar and pipe smoking are almost as likely to cause lung cancer as is cigarette smoking. There is no evidence that smoking low tar cigarettes reduces the risk of lung cancer.
Second hand smoke: People who don’t smoke but who breathe the smoke of others also have a higher risk of lung cancer. Non-smoking spouses of smokers, for example, have a 30% greater risk of developing lung cancer than do spouses of nonsmokers. Workers exposed to tobacco smoke in the workplace are also more likely to get lung cancer.
Hookah smoking has become popular among young people. Although there is less tobacco in the product used for hookahs, it is still dangerous and addictive.
Arsenic, if found in high levels in drinking water, may increase the risk of lung cancer. The effect is even greater for smokers.
Cancer-causing agents in the workplace include the following:
Uranium
Beryllium
Vinyl chloride
Nickel chromates
Coal products
Mustard gas
Chloromethyl ethers
Gasoline
Diesel exhaust
http://www.metrohealth.org/body.cfm?id=1635
Chris on July 10, 2010 at 11:38 am
It is possible but not at all probable. Most people who develop mesotheliomas have had some exposure either directly or indirectly with asbestos and this exposure when investigated is usually over a period of time and usually inhalation of particles of dust or microfibers containing asbestos. In the past it also has been known to occur by ingestion of contaminated liquids or utensils. Again the exposure is usually not a casual single time exposure but it’s best to avoid contact or if necessary to take proper hazzard precautions.
Panda on July 10, 2010 at 11:38 am
Yes. Asbestos exposure places a person at a higher risk to develop this type of cancer, but yes it is possible for a person who was never exposed to harmful chemicals or asbestos to still develop mesothelioma.