Cancers, including mesotheliomas, occur when cells in the body suffer damage to their DNA. DNA is the chemical in each of our cells that makes up our genes – the instructions for how our cells function. We usually look like our parents because they are the source of our DNA. However, DNA affects more than how we look. Some genes have instructions for controlling when cells in the body grow and divide. Changes in these genes may cause cells to grow out of control, which can lead to cancer.
Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma. After these fibers are breathed in, they travel to the ends of small air passages and reach the pleura, where they can damage mesothelial cells. This leads to inflammation and scarring. This may damage DNA and cause changes that result in uncontrolled cell growth. If swallowed, these fibers can reach the abdominal cavity where they have a role in causing peritoneal mesothelioma.
Radiation treatments to treat cancer have been linked to mesothelioma in some studies. Radiation can damage the cells' DNA, leading to out-of-control cell growth.
It is still not known whether infection with the SV40 virus increases the risk of mesothelioma, or exactly how it might do so. In lab studies, researchers have found that the virus can affect certain genes that have been linked with cancer, but further research in this area is needed.
Researchers now understand many of the factors that increase a person's risk of mesothelioma, but it's still not clear exactly how these factors cause the gene changes that lead to cancer. This is an active area of research.
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