Mesothelioma Pathology

The mesothelium is composed of one layer of flat cells which forms the lining of various cavities in the body. These cavities include the abdomen, heart sac, and lungs.

The introduction of asbestos particles in the lung may cause the visceral pleura to become saturated.

Once the particles are carried to the surface, malignant structures may form. Many experts believe that the asbestos particles are carried from the lung to the abdomen and other organs through the circulatory system.

There is little which stands in the way of developing mesothelioma once asbestos has been introduced into the body. It is also possible that asbestos particles may enter the stomach after sputum has been consumed which contains asbestos.

Lungs which have become filled with asbestos particles are likely to develop cancerous cells.

There are two types of asbestos particles which are typically found in the body, and these are the amphibole particles and the chrysotile particles.

The amphibole asbestos particles are known for being more dangerous than the chrysotile asbestos particles. The amphibole particles are blue in color, while the chrysotile particles are white.

Studies of rats have shown that they developed mesothelioma when they were infused with chrysotile fibers. These results are similar to what happens to humans when certain fibers are introduced into the lungs.

A large number of white blood cells have been observed gathering at places in the immune system where asbestos particles were found. As the disease grows, more white blood cells can be found gathering at different areas of the body, and changes in the cells of the blister often lead to the development of tumors.

Evidence shows that when introduced into the body, asbestos particles act as pure carcinogens. Despite this, the exact mechanisms that allow asbestos particles to transform common mesothelial cells into cancer cells is not well understood.

It is believed by many scientists and doctors that asbestos particles transfer the cancerous attributes to mesothelial cells by physical contact.

A large number of studies have been conducted on rats, and large percentages were found to develop mesothelioma when exposed to asbestos fibers which were long and thin.

The interactions between DNA and asbestos particles have been analyzed, and it has been found that certain fibers can interact with chromosomes. They will often attach themselves to the chromatin fibers. These interactions have been known to cause abnormal changes in the structure of the system which can lead to the development of malignant cells. Abnormal changes are typically found in chromosome 22.

Another abnormal change which is typically caused by asbestos particles is the destruction of genes which suppress tumors.

Asbestos has also been known to cause extraneous DNA to enter cells, and this has been demonstrated to cause mutations which could lead to the development of mesothelioma.

The introduction of asbestos into the body has been known to cause changes in the behavior of white blood cells. These changes will increase the likelihood that mesothelioma occurs. There is also evidence that asbestos particles suppress the immune system.