DEAR DR. GOTT: I saw a commentary on television recently about mesothelioma. This sounds simply awful and would like to know more about the topic. Can you fill in the blanks?
DEAR READER: Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that lines a person’s organs and is the result of lead paint and asbestos exposure and, rarely, radiation exposure. There are three forms — plural, pericardial and peritoneal. The pleural form affects the chest cavity and makes up more than 70 percent of all reported cases. The peritoneal form affects the stomach cavity, and the pericardial form occurs in the outside linings of the heart.
W.R. Grace Company in Libby, Mont., processed vermiculite from a mine that contained tremolite, a form of asbestos. The Environmental Protection Agency initiated a major cleanup in 1999 because of contamination of soil and areas outside homes and buildings. They are now concentrating on smaller sources of the contaminant and are measuring the effectiveness of that cleanup. In 2005, seven W.R. Grace executives and managers were indicted on 10 federal criminal counts of knowingly endangering the residents of the town and concealing information regarding the health effects of the company’s mining operations. Furthermore, the defendants are also accused of wire fraud and obstructing the government’s cleanup efforts.
Asbestos exposure is not a new topic. By World War II, the shipbuilding industry commonly used asbestos to insulate pipes and boilers. There were issues then. Since that time, asbestos has been utilized in countless products.
In the mid-1920s, the asbestos industry settled its first claim. In the 40 years that followed, the industry attempted to conceal the dangers of asbestos from the public and from the very people who worked in their facilities. It is reported the industry didn’t fight any further claims in court (likely because of media exposure). Instead, they chose to pay asbestos-related settlements under worker’s-compensation claims. By 1930, the industry was completely aware their product was literally killing a number of employees. Typical of big industry, asbestos products continued to be sold. There was good money to be made, and those worker’s-compensation claims had to be paid. Still, no one in the business admitted to wrongdoing.
It took until 1966, nearly 40 years later, for an asbestos lawsuit to be filed on behalf of a client. This was followed in 1974 by detailed information on how asbestos manufacturers formed a conspiracy to devise methods to deal with the hazards and keeping the information secret from their employees and the general public. This newfound information became the foundation upon which future cases were built.
When a person breathes in asbestos, the fibers settle in the lungs. The lungs are unable to rid themselves of the offending minerals. While there are low levels in the air we breathe, the levels are insignificant and do not cause problems; however, people working in industries such as shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, firefighting, asbestos removal and others are at extremely high risk.
The condition can cause chest pain, cough, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, weight loss, ascites (fluid buildup in the abdomen), bowel obstruction, anemia, fever, abdominal masses, severe bleeding in body organs, jaundice, pleural effusion, arterial blood clots in the lungs, pleural tumors on one side of the lungs and more.
Testing with CT scans, MRIs or lung biopsy can determine the extent of any lung damage.
Readers who are interested in learning more about pulmonary abnormalities can order my Health Report “Pulmonary Disorders” by sending a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form by logging on to my website at www.AskDrGottMD.com.
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