Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma in Women

CDC Report Finds Mesothelioma Cases in Women are Higher Than Expected

Tragically, it is mesothelioma that is the lasting calling card of the asbestos era across the United States. Countless people who were exposed to asbestos when it was being used widely in many different applications wound up with mesothelioma later in life. And, given the grim outlook that comes along with this diagnosis, the scale of the devastation is hard to comprehend. 

Not Just Men: Women are also at risk for mesothelioma.

While much of the focus tends to be on men who worked in mines and other construction and industrial settings, women were by no means safe from harm. Decades later, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is proving to be a serious health issue for many women,[1] and it is often going undetected until very late in its development. 

This article will take a look at this important issue and why it continues to be such a serious problem long after asbestos use was largely put to rest. 

What is Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma? 

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer found in the lining of the abdominal cavity. Although they share similar names, this is not the same thing as pleural mesothelioma, which is the more common form that has been detected in many people who were exposed to asbestos regularly. 

Asbestos fibers have no taste or smell, so you may not know when you are breathing or swallowing them.

At the heart of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is the same issue that is the basis for all other asbestos-related diseases. When asbestos fibers become airborne, they can be inhaled or ingested without the individual even noticing. Then, they will get stuck in the abdominal lining, and the inflammation and damage that is caused to the peritoneum can eventually spawn cancerous cells. 

Asbestos Latency: Mesothelioma can take many decades to appear.

One of the many challenges related to malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, in addition to the seriousness of the disease, is that it is hard to spot in the early stages. Patients are likely at first to have symptoms that could be mistaken for many other types of gastrointestinal issues, such as bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue, and bowel changes. Those issues might not lead a person to think much about the potential of mesothelioma, so treatment may not begin until rather late in the process. 

How Were Women Exposed? 

Women were exposed to asbestos at work… and at home.

There is a common, yet unfounded, belief that women were not exposed in any significant way to asbestos during its heyday. This simply is not true, and plenty of women have dealt with serious health consequences – even fatal consequences – as a result of their exposure to these fibers. Men may outnumber women in total when it comes to being victims of asbestos exposure and the many diseases it can cause, but that doesn’t mean that women can be overlooked or shouldn’t get the same type of care, treatment, and damages.

 Occupational Asbestos Exposure by women working at industrial jobs or worksites

First and foremost, some women were exposed in the same way men were, by working in direct contact with asbestos fibers day after day for years. Over time, those fibers – which are extremely durable in nature – build up inside the body and wind up doing serious harm. Mesothelioma and other serious health conditions are often the result, although they only develop many years after exposure. It may be true that more men were working in the construction and industrial settings where exposure commonly happened, but women were present as well and should not be forgotten. 

Second-hand asbestos exposure (Take Home / Household exposure)

In addition to the women who were working directly with asbestos, there were also countless more women who were exposed second-hand when someone they lived with came home and brought the fibers along for the ride. 

This is true not only for the wives of men who worked in mines and other facilities, but also for daughters who had parents that were being directly exposed. Either way, second-hand exposure has led to plenty of negative health outcomes, so this is a group that needs to be cared for, as well. 

Women Who Have Been Exposed Need More Help 

Thanks to a recent review by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we now know that women are largely not getting the help they need when it comes to asbestos-related diseases.[2] 

Unfortunately, it seems that the potential for women who didn’t work outside the home to be harmed by asbestos isn’t widely known, and as a result, many women don’t know they are at risk. Over 20% of women who are eventually found to have mesothelioma didn’t work outside of the house, pointing directly to the reality that they are being harmed by second-hand exposure. 

CDC: Mesothelioma is under addressed and underreported in women.

Since women may not know that it is even possible that they were exposed to asbestos, they could point to other causes of their health issues, and not wind up seeking a closer examination of what is going on. This is particularly damaging because those women will end up getting treatment later in the process than men who knew they were exposed and went looking for answers earlier. While it’s true that exposure time does tend to be related to health risks, there have been plenty of documented cases of mesothelioma resulting even when the exposure was brief in nature.[3] 

Getting Help Right Away 

Although the widespread use of asbestos in manufacturing and industrial applications began to be phased out decades ago, the ramifications are still being felt today. If you are a woman who worked in such a setting and may have been exposed, or lived in a home with a spouse or parent who did, getting tested for this dangerous disease is a smart step. Also, military women may be at risk of having been exposed.

Conclusion on mesothelioma danger in women

Remember, asbestos-related diseases take many, many years to develop in the body after exposure. It can be hard to take seriously a threat that seems like it is from so long ago, but that’s how it works with these incredibly durable fibers.  

Also, those who have been harmed will want to consider their legal options to potentially seek damages from responsible parties. The companies that are responsible for doing this damage should be held accountable and made to compensate their victims to whatever degree is possible under the law. 

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7119a1.htm 

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9098251/ 

[3] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet