Mesothelioma

The risk factor that can cause mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos fibers , particularly volatile, which are easily inhaled, just think that an asbestos fiber is 1300 times thinner than a human hair.

Mesothelioma is a rare and serious cancer, which mainly affects the membrane lining the lung (pleura) or the intestine (peritoneum). This evil owes part of its danger to the difficulty with which it is diagnosed. Typical symptoms are chest pain and difficulty breathing, factors common to many other lung diseases. The best method at the moment remains the biopsy. Once the presence of a malignant mass has been verified, it is possible to intervene with complete surgical removal, associated with cycles of chemotherapy. It is important to underline that new drugs are being tested (some of them are one step away from being approved by the FDA – Food and Drugs Administration), capable of helping the cure by blocking tumor cells. Italy is the European country with the highest number of people affected by this form of cancer, often contracted in the workplace. In fact, asbestos was used for the insulation of buildings, roofs, ships, trains, in construction for tiles and floors, in firefighters' suits, in car paints and even for houses. Its harmfulness to health has led to its use being banned in our country with law 257/1992 and INAIL, in the event that diseases connected to it are contracted, such as mesothelioma, it recognizes and pays a disability allowance .

In the photo above on the left, a sign indicating an area contaminated by asbestos (asbestos in English). Above, a microscope photo of an asbestos fiber. Under a tomography in which the presence of mesothelioma is noted.