Possible risk factors
Factors that may increase the risk of mesothelioma include:
Factors that may increase the risk of mesothelioma include:
* Personal history of asbestos exposure. If you've been directly exposed to asbestos fibers at work or at home, your risk of mesothelioma is greatly increased.
* Living with someone who works with asbestos. People who are exposed to asbestos may carry the fibers home on their skin and clothing. These stray fibers can put others in the home at risk of mesothelioma. People who work with asbestos should shower and change clothes before leaving work.
* A monkey virus used in polio vaccines. Some research indicates a link between mesothelioma and simian virus 40 (SV40), a virus originally found in monkeys. Millions of people may have been exposed to SV40 when receiving polio vaccinations between 1955 and 1963, because the vaccine was developed using monkey cells. Once it was discovered that SV40 was linked to certain cancers, the virus was removed from the polio vaccine. Whether SV40 increases the risk of mesothelioma is a point of debate, and more research is needed.
* Radiation. Some research links mesothelioma to the radioactive substance thorium dioxide, which was used along with X-rays to diagnose various health conditions from the 1920s to the 1950s. Mesothelioma has also been linked to radiation therapy treatments to the chest, such as those used to treat breast cancer or lymphoma.
* Family history. A family history of mesothelioma may increase your risk of mesothelioma, but more research is needed to understand this theory.
complications
Complications
Complications
As pleural mesothelioma spreads in the chest, it puts pressure on the structures in that area. This can cause complications, such as:
* Difficulty breathing
* Chest pain
* Difficulty swallowing
* Swelling of the neck and face caused by pressure on the large vein that leads from your upper body to your heart (superior vena cava syndrome)
* Pain caused by pressure on the nerves and spinal cord
* Accumulation of fluid in the chest (pleural effusion), which can compress the lung nearby and make breathing difficult
* Chest pain
* Difficulty swallowing
* Swelling of the neck and face caused by pressure on the large vein that leads from your upper body to your heart (superior vena cava syndrome)
* Pain caused by pressure on the nerves and spinal cord
* Accumulation of fluid in the chest (pleural effusion), which can compress the lung nearby and make breathing difficult
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