Mesothelioma - Other Risk Factors

Asbestos is the most prominent risk factor for contraction of mesothelioma. Apart from asbestos, there are other risk factors as well which researchers have identified which tend to increase risk of this disease.
• SV40 - It is found that there is a connection between mesothelioma and simian virus 40 (SV40), a kind of virus found in monkeys. Between 1955 and 1963, all the polio vaccinations received by people contained SV40 as the vaccine was made of monkey cells. This virus was proved to cause cancer owing to which the polio vaccine was also withdrawn. It is believed that SV40 has been passed between people though SV40 causes this disease is a point for debate and needs more research to be undertaken in this field.
• Radiation - between 1920s and 1950s x-ray used to diagnose various health conditions used radioactive material thorium dioxide which was proven to cause cancer. Some researchers consider thorium dioxide as a mesothelioma risk factor.
• Asbestos-like minerals - zeolite - an asbestos-like mineral found naturally has also been considered as a mesothelioma risk factor in Turkey where the material was used extensively for construction purposes.
• Family history - Researches also indicate that family history also tend to play a role substantially in causing this disease.
Through extensive research a unique form of risk calculator called mesothelioma risk calculator has been developed considering the impact the cancer is creating among people. This risk factor calculator gathers all necessary information about the factors causing this disease like exposure to asbestos, smoking, environmental factors or any genetic factors and treatment mesothelioma can be challenging.
This information is further analyzed and evaluated to find out the result for mesothelioma risk factors and also gives an indication whether a person is prone to this cancer. This is beneficial especially for those exposed to asbestos either at workplace or at home.
However, this risk calculator is still under testing stage and needs to be approved by various government approving bodies to be marketed across the country.