Jennifer Jennings of UK is grieving the loss of her husband Cyril Jennings after his battle with mesothelioma. Recently past, Mr. Jenning’s cause of death was determined by a local coroner’s court: a blood clot from mesothelioma cancer.

Mr. Jennings was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to toxic asbestos, a naturally occurring chemical considered a Type 1 carcinogen by World Health Organization. Mr. Jennings was exposed to asbestos during his employment as an engineer; his work in a laboratory included regular use of raw asbestos materials.

Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can become lodged in lung lining tissue causing a mutative process. This process develops into malignant tumors that spread through surrounding areas in an irregular web-like pattern. Malignant mesothelioma is characterized by a latency period typically ranging from twenty to fifty years, and symptoms that mimic those of bronchitis and pneumonia.

Mesothelioma treatments are available including surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.

Mrs. Jennings warns others who work with asbestos about realities associated with exposure. In an article published in The Bolton News, she says, “I don’t think people realise that asbestos kills. I implore any builder to make sure they wear protective clothing and masks. You just don’t know where asbestos is, it is still in buildings now. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

A recent mesothelioma lawsuit in Salisbury, England, was settled out of court when Luigi Pes was compensated with a six-figure amount by his former employers. Pes, who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in February of 2008, was employed as a chef at La Gondola restaurant during the 1980s. He believes his asbestos exposure came from heat resistant oven seals in the restaurants kitchen, as well as some ceiling material in other parts of the establishment.

In a July 5^th article in the Salisbury Journal, Pes says: “For many years I worked there with no idea about the damage asbestos could do to my health. In later years when I became aware about the dangers of asbestos, I had an idea that I had been exposed but I never expected that I would end up with this disease.

“Despite my progressive illness and the restrictions it brings, I’m doing my best to enjoy each day I have left. I’m not angry but I do feel strongly that more should have been done to protect me from getting this disease.”

Mesothelioma and other severe respiratory conditions are caused by inhalation of toxic asbestos fibers. Much like Pes, many mesothelioma patients have no idea they are living or working in the presence of asbestos. Although relatively safe when incased in a containing materials, such as floor tiles or ceiling tiles, asbestos poses a threat after consistent wear and tear releases the once enclosed fibers into the air.

Like Pes’s case, mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period between original asbestos exposure and demonstration of mesothelioma symptoms. Mesothelioma victims often go for decades with no idea they are suffering from a deadly cancer. This makes early detection and mesothelioma treatment a challenge.

Historically, asbestos exposure and diseases it can cause have been associated with industrial employment such as shipbuilding, steelwork and mining. However, as residential and commercial construction components containing asbestos begin to break down, countless homes and workplaces are becoming unsafe. This is seen in Pes’s case and cases like it.

Adrian Budgen of Irwin Mitchell law firm in the UK is recently quoted in The Star on this demographic change in mesothelioma victims. He said, “Asbestos has long been associated with heavy industry but sadly we are seeing an increasing number of people from other sectors – such as health and education – falling victim to diseases like mesothelioma.

“The rising numbers of white- collar workers who are going on to suffer from mesothelioma highlights the need for a proper record of which public buildings – whether they are council offices, hospitals or schools – contain asbestos to prevent future, needless tragedies.”

Pfizer pharmaceuticals has presented its new oral cancer treatment drug, crizotinib, for use on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—a group of diseases making up just 5% of all cancer cases. Developed to target tumors with genetic marker anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), this new drug may be beneficial for treatment of pleural mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the mesothelium, the protective lining around the lungs. Once mesothelioma development begins, flat, wide tumors begin to spread in an irregular pattern through lung lining. Other treatments specific to NSCLC have aided in the fight against mesothelioma. ALK markers may be found in mesothelioma cells as well as lung cancer cells used in crizotinib testing.

Mesothelioma is caused by toxic chemical asbestos. Asbestos is typically found encased in another material, such as a building or construction component. However, after years of wear and tear, or in the case of sudden demolition, asbestos fibers can be released from the containing material, becoming a health and safety hazard.

Once asbestos fibers are inhaled they become lodged in the mesothelium—or in lining of other abdominal cavities such as the heart or diaphragm. This starts the cancerous growth process leading to malignant mesothelioma. Asbestos is considered a Type 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is regulated in many countries.

In Pfizer’s crizotinib tests, patients with advanced cancers experienced longer than average survival times after taking the new treatment. Two years and longer life expectancy is the average for just 20% of NSCLC patients; the expectancy dropping quickly between one and two years. 74% of those on crizotinib were alive after one year, and 54% after two years. This new drug could be a huge stride ahead in rare cancer treatment.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a life expectancy ranging from just six months to two years following diagnosis. Sadly, mesothelioma patients are typically developing the disease for twenty to fifty years before they notice symptoms. When symptoms to demonstrate they mimic those of bronchitis or pneumonia, making mesothelioma difficult to diagnose early.

Mesothelioma treatments are available. Standards include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Often, these are administered in combination as palliative care to focus on pain management and to extend patient life expectancy.

About three thousand Americans suffer with mesothelioma each year, and the number worldwide is on the rise from twenty thousand annually as asbestos continues to be used. WHO estimates a quick increase to ninety thousand cases yearly around the world if asbestos use is not greatly curbed or stopped completely.