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Asbestos is a heat and fire resistant insulating
material that was widely used in the building, ship
building and motor industries in the past. It was also
used in the manufacture of household appliances.
As a result, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in
men who have used asbestos products in a work place in
the past, especially in the years following the second
world war, where asbestos use was particular common!
Mesothelioma often does not develop until 15 to 40 years
after you have been exposed to asbestos - which is why
the number of cases are dramatically rising now in the
UK, and are expected to rise further throughout the next
20 years.
All types of asbestos - blue, brown, and white - are
believed to be harmful. Since the late 1980's blue and
brown asbestos products have been barred in the UK and
can no longer be imported. White asbestos was banned
from use in the UK in 1999.
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Asbestos is made up of tiny fibres. These fibres can be
inhaled when you come into contact with asbestos, and
they make their way to the pleura, which lines your
lungs.
The fibres irritate the pleura and damage its cells.
Fibres that have been inhaled can also be coughed up and
swallowed - this is believed to be the cause of
peritoneal mesothelioma.
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