Malignant mesothelioma has long been known as an occupational disease, but in most cases, the rare form of cancer strikes down factory workers, shipyard workers, and others whose work is directly tied to the use of the insulating material asbestos. But a case study published in BMJ Journals noted that asbestos dust raised from the destruction of buildings in war-torn areas can expose an entirely different class of workers, including journalists.
Breathing in Asbestos Fibers Leads to Malignant Mesothelioma
Though today we are aware that asbestos causes malignant mesothelioma, the carcinogenic material has been used for centuries in high-heat applications, in construction and infrastructure, in shipbuilding, and other environments. This has led to deaths and illnesses among those who’ve worked with the material, as well as those who have lived or worked in close proximity to it.
Asbestos is most likely to cause malignant mesothelioma when it’s broken down into airborne fibers that can be inhaled, and this is what led to the illness at the center of the case study. A 60-year-old journalist who had covered wars in the Far and Near East was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma after having been exposed to asbestos contained in the dust and smoke that arose from destroyed buildings in the war theaters.
Mesothelioma Symptoms Arose Thirty Years After Exposure to Bombed-Out Buildings
According to physicians reporting on the case, the mesothelioma victim was hospitalized with symptoms of malignant mesothelioma nearly thirty years after a decade of reporting in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He recalled living and working near bombed-out buildings that had been constructed in the mid-20th century, when asbestos was commonly used. He described the dust that was raised by the war-time destruction, saying, “At times we felt like we were chewing the air, it was so thick and slimy.”
The mesothelioma case report points to the dangers of in-place asbestos. If you or someone you love has been exposed to the carcinogenic material and diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. For information, contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
