Written by Karen Selby, RN | Medically Reviewed By Dr. Raja Michael Flores | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: July 17, 2024

Can Malignant Mesothelioma Be Prevented?

Mesothelioma is preventable if you avoid asbestos exposure. It’s best to educate yourself about where asbestos may be hiding. It still lingers in the places we live and work. Asbestos awareness can help prevent exposure, the cause of mesothelioma, and other health issues.

During the 20th century, U.S. manufacturers added asbestos to thousands of products. Construction materials still contain asbestos in homes, offices and factories nationwide.

Workers may encounter asbestos while on the job. Settings include shipyards, power plants, chemical plants, railroads and auto mechanic shops.

Ways to Prevent Asbestos Exposure
  • Avoid old asbestos insulation products that can easily release dust when disturbed.
  • Check for asbestos before demolition or renovation work in homes built before 1980.
  • Follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations if you work with asbestos.

For decades, most workers and the general public had no idea asbestos exposure could lead to severe diseases. Examples include malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

Some companies even hid the health risks of asbestos from their employees. Today, more people are aware of the dangers, especially those who work in industries that use asbestos.

Survivor Story
Survivor Story
Raeleen Minchuk Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Survivor Works With Canadian Prevention Group

Since being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma nearly a decade ago, Raeleen Minchuk Prokopetz has been passionate about advocacy and raising awareness about the dangers of asbestos. Raeleen has worked with WorkSafe Saskatchewan, which shares information about the dangers of asbestos exposure. The Canadian workplace safety and injury prevention group’s mission is to help reduce the number injuries and deaths in the workplace.

Read Raeleen’s Story

Mesothelioma Prevention at Work

Asbestos warning sign at a jobsite.
Asbestos warning sign at a jobsite.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration began regulating employee exposure to asbestos in 1972.

OSHA outlines specific standards for general industry (29 CFR 1910.1001,) construction (29 CFR 1926.1101,) and shipyards (29 CFR 1915.1001.) These standards require employers to develop a written plan that discusses exposure and establishes processes or procedures for minimizing the hazard.

Air monitoring must be conducted to determine if a plan is needed. If employees are exposed to more than 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (1 f/cc) over an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) day, or the short-term Excursion Limit (ELT) of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (0.1 f/cc) as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes, a plan must be created.

The plan must outline a training program for employees. The following are also required or recommended planning elements:

  • Conduct air monitoring to determine exposure.
  • Create controlled zones or “regulated areas” where asbestos work is performed; and limit access to this area to authorized personnel who have been trained and are wearing the proper personal protective equipment.
  • Prohibit eating, smoking, drinking, chewing tobacco or gum and applying cosmetics in these zones or areas
  • Provide medical examinations for affected employees
  • Display warning signs
  • Do not allow removal of contaminated clothing from shower and or changing rooms. Use closed containers to store clothing until it is laundered or disposed of
  • Do not use pressurized air to remove dust. Use a HEPA vacuum instead
  • Seal wastes in properly marked bags
  • Conduct air monitoring at least once every six months.
  • Maintain monitoring records, training records and medical records

Although awareness of asbestos health risks has improved over the years, some employers still don’t take the proper steps to prevent harmful workplace exposures. Workers must take their own precautions around asbestos and report any unsafe work conditions to OSHA.

You can take steps to help prevent asbestos exposure and related health conditions. Never perform asbestos work for your employer if you are not trained and certified. If you lack the proper training in asbestos removal, leave this work to professionals.

How to Protect Your Family from Asbestos

Anyone performing renovation work on a home built before 1980 should be cautious of asbestos. The only way to tell if a construction material in your home contains asbestos is to have a sample sent to a certified laboratory for testing.

Homeowners can release asbestos dust into the air during renovations. Concealed asbestos materials in good condition are safe if undisturbed. Cutting, sawing, sanding, scraping or drilling into them creates a health risk.

Diagram of Where Asbestos Can be Found in a Home
Asbestos use has declined significantly since the late 1970s, when the U.S. banned spray-on asbestos and several other uses. However, many older homes still contain asbestos.

An asbestos product that has become brittle and crumbly over time is called friable. Materials in this state are hazardous. Toxic asbestos fibers can break off and float through the air.

Common Asbestos Products Found in Homes

Because of the popularity of asbestos in pre-1980s construction, several homes across the United States may harbor potential asbestos-containing products. The following are common asbestos products builders often used in building homes.

Asbestos Products Found in Homes

  • Attic insulation
  • Roof shingles and tar
  • Drywall and joint compound
  • Floor tiles and adhesives
  • Popcorn ceiling textures
  • Insulation wrapping on pipes, ducts and electrical wires

If you encounter any of these products, the best guidance is to not disturb them. Avoiding exposure should be your priority to keep you and your family safe from asbestos exposure.

Avoiding Asbestos Exposure in Your Home

As a homeowner, you can take several steps to minimize asbestos exposure in your home. If you suspect a building material is asbestos, you should immediately contact an asbestos expert to test the material for asbestos. The following are other steps you should take to avoid asbestos at home.

How to Avoid Asbestos in Your Home

  • Ask your home inspector or real estate agent if there is asbestos in your home.
  • If you have an older home, don’t perform DIY renovations without checking for asbestos first.
  • If you think you have found asbestos in your home, leave it alone.
  • Regularly check known asbestos products in your home for signs of wear.
  • If an asbestos product is worn or has become damaged, call an abatement specialist.
  • Never attempt to remove asbestos without help from a professional.

Damaged or friable asbestos products should be encapsulated or removed from the home immediately. A licensed abatement company should perform the job. It’s the best way to protect you and your family from asbestos exposure.

Regulations on Asbestos in Schools and Public Buildings

Asbestos-containing materials, which are extensively used in home construction, were also used to build schools and other public buildings where people work, learn and visit daily.

  • The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants set strict rules for ensuring renovations and demolitions do not put people at risk of asbestos exposure. While the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act requires every school to inspect for asbestos-containing materials and prepare an asbestos management plan. Schools must keep the plan on site and update it with each inspection.

Government organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have regulations for protecting people from asbestos exposure in these building.

Monitoring Your Health

People with a history of asbestos exposure should monitor their respiratory and digestive health. Mesothelioma arises 20 to 60 years after the initial asbestos exposure. Regular check-ups and early detection can be crucial in managing the disease.

Keep track of changes to your health since your asbestos exposure. Note any new respiratory symptoms or new pains in your chest or abdomen. If new symptoms arise, keep a journal of the changes and share it with your doctor.

A well-rounded diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can lower your risk for cancer. Eat foods rich in antioxidants to help your body repair itself and fend off disease.

It’s essential to report any unusual symptoms to a health care provider immediately, as early intervention can improve treatment outcomes. Additionally, being informed about new research and treatment options can empower patients and their families to make well-informed healthcare decisions.

This cancer is extremely rare, so not a lot of doctors have ever seen it in their entire time of practicing medicine. By going to somebody who specializes in it, they actually have a clinical interest in the disease itself. So they properly know how to treat it, and they can come up with different plans of treatment using a multidisciplinary approach.

Missy Miller Patient Advocate Headshot

Talk to Your Doctor About Regular Medical Tests

People exposed to asbestos long ago can undergo monitoring via a diagnostic imaging test — such as an X-ray — or a pulmonary function test, which measures how well the lungs work.

If you have a history of asbestos exposure, be sure to tell your doctor and ask how frequently you should get tested for signs of disease. If mesothelioma symptoms arise—especially chest pain, shortness of breath or a persistent cough—see a doctor immediately.

When mesothelioma is diagnosed in its early stages of development, more treatment options are available that may improve survival and quality of life. A blood test called MESOMARK may help monitor response to treatment.

Chemoprevention Research

Chemoprevention researchers are investigating ways to prevent the development of mesothelioma among asbestos-exposed workers. Chemoprevention uses natural substances or drugs to prevent disease. Much of this early laboratory research is still in the early stages.

For example, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are investigating flaxseed lignans as chemopreventative agents. According to a 2018 study published in Antioxidants, a synthetic version of a flaxseed lignan protects cells against asbestos-induced damage.

The difference about working in a cancer center is that every day you walk into a building and you’re surrounded by other physicians whose goal and whose focus is the prevention and treatment of cancer.

The researchers are also investigating new biomarkers. They may help identify asbestos-exposed workers who may be at risk of developing mesothelioma or lung cancer. The goal is to identify the people most at risk and use chemopreventative agents to prevent asbestos damage.

A 2021 research report concluded that future genetic and genomic studies will further improve our knowledge of the genetic background of mesothelioma, allowing scientists to develop better strategies for the prevention and treatment of this malignancy.

Smoking Cessation Programs

You can reduce your chances of developing an asbestos-related condition by quitting smoking.

There is no evidence that smoking increases a person’s risk of mesothelioma. Studies show that smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer or asbestosis.

If you have a history of asbestos exposure, you should find a smoking cessation program and stop smoking immediately.

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