59-year-old living mesothelioma victim (Texas resident) who was exposed by doing the laundry of her husband who worked as a supervisor in a heavy equipment maintenance motor pool
The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Unfortunately, many people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma either didn't know they were exposed to asbestos at some point in their life, or they were not warned about the danger of being regularly exposed to asbestos fibers.
Many individuals who were eventually diagnosed with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos in the workplace, while on active duty in the military, or through secondary exposure.
Workplace exposure to asbestos accounts for a large amount of mesothelioma diagnoses in the United States. In fact, the number one cause of work-related deaths is asbestos exposure.
The following occupations have the highest risk of asbestos exposure.
Some statistics suggest that upwards of 30% of all mesothelioma patients are veterans of the military, as it was a common building and insulating material for many military products, including:
Some individuals are diagnosed with mesothelioma even though, to their knowledge, they were never directly exposed. Secondary exposure occurs when you have contact with someone else who was exposed to asbestos fibers. For example, an individual can develop mesothelioma after coming into contact with someone who brought asbestos fibers home with them (such as on their clothing). It is particularly common in women, especially in wives whose husbands were in the military or had an occupation that frequently handled asbestos material.