It is no secret that exposure to asbestos causes cancer. However, while scientists definitively established this link decades ago, the exact mechanism was still a mystery. A recent study apparently demonstrates just how asbestos causes mesothelioma, which at some point in the future could possibly be helpful to doctors in South Carolina who treat patients suffering from this fatal cancer.

When a person inhales asbestos, the long, pointy fibers get lodged inside the lungs. Once there it causes chronic inflammation that frequently develops into cancer. Getting rid of that asbestos is nearly impossible too, because human bodies just do not have the mechanisms to clear the fibers. Curious as to exactly how those fibers cause cancer, a group of scientists conducted a study looking into that topic.

Researchers conducted a study using mice and looked at how their bodies reacted to asbestos. They saw that the asbestos fibers caused micro-injuries which alerted white blood cells of a problem. This started the tissue repair process, but since the asbestos fibers never left, there was an ongoing proliferation of rebuilding cells. This buildup can very easily turn into cancer growth, and scientists also observed specific mutations within the precancerous buildup.

Understanding how asbestos exposure actually causes mesothelioma might help medical experts develop new and effective treatments. Unfortunately, this does not do much to help patients in South Carolina who are already living with this form of deadly cancer. Instead, it might be more helpful to seek compensation for their damages, including for things like lost wages and emotional suffering.