Radiation exposure to the chest
Several studies indicate that exposure to radiation, particularly the radioactive substance thorium dioxide found in X-rays, causes the development of tumor cells that contribute to mesothelioma. A significant number of patients develop mesothelioma as a result of the use of radiation therapy, either to diagnose various cancers or to treat cancer with potent radiations. Patients with cancer, particularly those with lymphoma, are more likely to develop mesothelioma as a result of excessive and protracted radiation exposure. In most cancer patients, the use of specific genetic markers such as biomarkers to indicate the tumor increases the likelihood of developing mesothelioma. In addition, patients with malignancies of the liver, lungs, and abdomen who are exposed to radiation for an extended period of time develop the malignant form of mesothelioma, as the radiations damage the genetic material of the cells and mutate the genes, thereby causing mesothelioma.
