A rare and aggressive form of cancer, there are about 3,000 cases of mesothelioma documented each year in the United States. Most cases of mesothelioma come from occupational asbestos exposure in certain professions such as construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, plumbing, carpentry and more. Most cases of mesothelioma occur in men as they were predominantly in these roles in the past, however women are just as susceptible to the disease. Mesothelioma is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers and has a poor prognosis of less than a year, however early detection and proper treatment can extend the patient’s life as well as enhance overall quality of life.
The development of mesothelioma has a long latency period of about 30 to 40 years, meaning when someone is exposed to asbestos, if they develop mesothelioma, it will not be until decades after exposure.
Women
There is not much information on mesothelioma mortality when it comes to women. From 1990 to 2020, the number of mesothelioma deaths in women per year in the US increased from 489 in 1999 to 614 in 2020. This highlights the importance of early detection and proper treatment, and that mesothelioma exists not only in men but in women as well.
In men, approximately 85 percent of exposures are due to work-related inhalation, whereas in women approximately 23 percent of cases were attributable to work-related exposure. Although women are less likely to be employed in trades such as construction or manufacturing, they still can be and they can be exposed to asbestos at their work due to activities that disturb the asbestos fibers. People can also be exposed to asbestos environmentally, through naturally occurring asbestos. Additionally, women can be and have been in the past, exposed to asbestos fibers through take home exposure from other family members that they live with. One of the main ways women have been exposed to asbestos in the past is through laundering the clothes of a spouse who worked with and around asbestos.
Mesothelioma is attributable to asbestos exposure: even when the source of exposure is difficult to pinpoint it is likely that if someone has mesothelioma they were exposed to asbestos in their environment or para-occupationally.
When men and women are exposed to the same amounts of asbestos, women are just as likely to develop mesothelioma as men are, which is shown in different countries throughout the world. In a study done in the UK on factory workers, 16 percent of the deceased men had mesothelioma and 24 percent of the deceased women did. In fact, in this study, women who were exposed to asbestos for less than two years experienced a higher rate of mesothelioma compared to men exposed for the same amount of time.
Exposure
It is thought that even exposure to small amounts of asbestos can lead to mesothelioma down the line. Since mesothelioma is extremely rare, it occurs in less than 10 percent of the population basically anywhere in the world. It is also thought that the accumulation of exposure can contribute to the evolution of mesothelioma. It is hard to determine whether inhaling one singular asbestos fiber can cause mesothelioma as people do not inhale one fiber at a time. Every exposure has thousands or millions of fibers containing asbestos.
Overall, it is important that mesothelioma is taken seriously in women and that it is understood that anyone can get mesothelioma, although people that have worked directly with asbestos are more likely to develop it.
If you or a loved one lives in Pennsylvania and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, please call (800) 505-6000. For more information fill out the form on our Homepage.
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