Primarily caused by exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma is one of the most severe types of cancer. Besides the criticality of the body parts it affects, which are the lungs, heart, stomach and other internal organs, another factor that makes this rare cancer severe is its latency period.
Here is what to know about mesothelioma’s latency period:
20 to 60 years
After asbestos exposure, it can take 20 to 60 years for symptoms of mesothelioma to appear. Different factors contribute to this difference in the latency period.
Firstly, someone who works with asbestos (occupational exposure), such as those who work in companies that produce asbestos-containing products, may have a shorter latency period than someone who is environmentally exposed to it, such as those who construct or demolish buildings that may have asbestos-containing materials like insulation or those who develop the disease through secondary exposure.
Additionally, research shows that a smoker exposed to asbestos, either occupationally or environmentally, may have a shorter latency period than a non-smoker exposed to it in similar conditions.
Other factors that can affect mesothelioma’s latency period are the age of first exposure and one’s health conditions.
The effect of the longer latency period
With the extended latency period of mesothelioma, cases are typically discovered in the latter stages. Most cancers are more manageable to be treated because they are diagnosed at early stages – when they haven’t spread. However, this is not the case with mesothelioma.
The medical field is introducing new techniques to help discover mesothelioma earlier, and this is expected to improve.
If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, learn more about the background of your asbestos exposure to determine if someone’s negligence led to it.