Causes

Mesothelioma is primarily caused by asbestos exposure.Though the exact way asbestos causes mesothelioma is currently being researched, medical professionals have a number of theories:

Asbestos causes irritation and inflammation of mesothelial cells, which results in irreversible scarring, cellular damage, and eventually cancer.
Asbestos fibers enter cells and disrupt the function of cellular structures that are essential for normal cell division, causing cellular changes that lead to cancer.
Asbestos causes the production of free radicals. These molecules damage DNA, and cause cells to mutate and become cancerous.
The presence of asbestos causes cells to produce oncoproteins. These molecules cause mesothelial cells to ignore normal cellular division restraints, and this can lead to the development of cancer.