Asbestos Exposure Increases the Chances of Developing Ovarian Cancer
If you or someone you love has ovarian cancer, it may be because of past asbestos exposure. Asbestos is most commonly associated with lung-related cancers, like pleural mesothelioma or lung cancer. But this toxic mineral fiber has been linked to several cancers, including this one in women, a group of people not traditionally heavily exposed to asbestos.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of natural, fibrous minerals that is heat, fire, chemical, and corrosion resistant. Due to these properties, asbestos has been used for centuries in about 3,000 products, including insulation, fireproofing materials, wallboard, and automotive brakes, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Talc is another mineral fiber refined to make talcum powder. Talc and asbestos can be mixed in underground mineral formations, and if not handled properly, talcum powder may be contaminated with asbestos fibers.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Fibers are tiny and light. If they’re airborne, they can stay in the air for a long time, where they can be inhaled or swallowed by anyone nearby. It’s difficult, if not impossible, for the human body to break down asbestos fibers after they enter the body. Over years or decades, the fibers cause inflammation, scar tissue, and genetic changes in nearby tissue that can become cancerous or malignant.
Asbestos exposure causes most mesotheliomas (a rare cancer of the membranes lining the chest, abdomen, and abdominal organs) and cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovary. Ovarian cancer can be the result of swallowing or inhaling asbestos fibers or the use of asbestos-contaminated talcum powder on a woman’s pubic area.
What is Ovarian Cancer?
Ovaries are female reproductive glands that produce eggs (ova) for reproduction, reports the American Cancer Society. The eggs move through the fallopian tubes to the uterus, where a fertilized egg settles and develops into a fetus. The ovaries are the main source of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen.
The ovaries have three kinds of cells. Each may develop into a different tumor type:
- Epithelial tumors make up most ovarian cancer cases. They begin with cells covering the ovary’s outer surface
- Germ cell tumors develop from cells producing eggs
- Stromal tumors begin with structural tissue cells producing hormones and holding the ovary together
Some tumors are benign (or non-cancerous) and won’t spread outside the ovary. Malignant tumors, or those that have low malignancy potential, can spread or metastasize to other body parts and can be fatal.
How is Ovarian Cancer Treated?
Surgery is often the first line of therapy, according to the Mayo Clinic. It may involve removing:
- One or both of the affected ovaries
- Fallopian tubes
- Uterus
- Nearby fatty tissue and lymph nodes if the cancer is in these areas
Surgery might be enough to eliminate the cancer, but most patients decide to use chemotherapy as well to cut the risk of the cancer recurring. Which comes first, and what chemotherapy drugs are used depends on the cancer stage and if it’s spread to other parts of your body. Chemotherapy can be delivered through an IV into a vein or directly into the abdomen with a catheter.
Another option is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which is given during surgery. It’s sometimes recommended if the ovarian cancer is considered advanced or initially inoperable. Chemotherapy is pumped into the abdomen, hopefully sparing healthy tissue and causing fewer side effects.
Targeted therapy may be available. It uses your cancer cells’ unique characteristics, allowing them to grow, divide, and spread against them. These characteristics are targeted to identify weaknesses and attack cancer cells.
The latest class of ovarian cancer drugs is PARP inhibitors. PARP is a protein that repairs damaged DNA when dividing. PARP inhibitors block the protein, causing cancer cells to die.
Ovarian cancer’s five-year survival rates vary on the specific cancer types, but are overall better than other types of asbestos-related cancers like mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Call Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, Today For A Free Initial Consultation
If you or a loved one are diagnosed with ovarian cancer after being exposed to asbestos, you may be entitled to compensation for your hardship. Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.