My father served as an officer of the military police in the 1960s, but after serving our country, he landed a job in a paper mill. He worked for much of his adult life. That was his only work as long as I can remember.
He worked hard and shot several extra shifts. Most months he was out only one or two days. He got a supervisor, and he loved his job and the people with whom he worked. He did a decent wage and has been able to provide for our family.
All was well until he developed mesothelioma in 1992.
We now know the work of my father at the paper mill was exposed to asbestos , a toxic mineral fiber causing mesothelioma and other diseases. I wondered, however, why not everyone who worked at the plant for developing mesothelioma as well?
Research shows the genetic father may have played a role in the onset of his cancer.
Progressive Health problems
In the summer of 1992 my father suffered from fatigue and began having trouble breathing. It was early forties, and at first, he attributed his symptoms to the natural aging process.
But his health began to deteriorate further, and began to worry something might be wrong.
Before the onset of symptoms, my father had no health problems. In fact, I only remember to be patient when it when I was little. He had the flu and missed two days of work.
In the fall of 1992, Dad could not breathe well enough to climb the stairs in our house. He went to our family doctor, who ran some tests. The doctor suspects cancer and referred to an oncologist.
A difficult diagnosis
I remember the day my parents told me about the diagnosis of my father. He had mesothelioma, which at that time meant a hill of beans to me. I did not know what that meant. I just knew that he made my mother cry.
What I did understand was my father's health was getting worse.
Most people in the community mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos causes mesothelioma aware. But two of my uncles worked with my father, and neither developed an illness related to asbestos
One died of unrelated causes before my father. the other is now living in Ohio. In my mind, I kept wondering why it had to happen to my father.
An important objective of the research on mesothelioma is to gain a better understanding of the reasons why only a small percentage of people with repeated exposure in the workplace to asbestos develop mesothelioma. This field of study has revealed that the answer probably lies in the genes we inherit from our parents.
Genetics and mesothelioma
According to Drs. Gregory Fuhrer and Angeline Lazare, two well-known researchers in their study of genetics and mesothelioma, "The genes seem to be important in regulating cell cycles."
The cells in our bodies have a life cycle like us. They grow, multiply and eventually die. In one study, Fuhrer and Lazarus describe a "tumor suppressor gene" that causes cells to self-destruct when asbestos or other carcinogenic substance causing irreparable damage to their DNA.
the goal is to destroy the cell before damage to the cell's DNA causes it to become cancerous multiply on tumor control and form.
Understanding the tumor suppressor genes
[it can be a bit confusing to sift through the research reports laced with medical jargon
for more information on tumor suppressor genes, I turned to "tumor suppressor genes: Guardians our cells, "a 1997 fact sheet prepared by Madhuri Putta
Dr .. Suzanne M. Snedeker, former deputy director of translational research at research program on breast cancer and environmental risk factors of Cornell University, oversaw the development of the information sheet.
The record defines the tumor suppressor genes, genes that control and regulate how cells divide and increase in number.
"tumor suppressor genes function as guardians of our cells by preventing cells with DNA damage from dividing and transmitting harmful mutations to daughter cells," the fact sheet shows .
For example, mesothelioma can occur when asbestos exposure causes genetic damage to healthy cells. The damage can lead to erratic cell division, unchecked. the tumor suppressor genes can generally detect something is wrong and intervene to block the formation of cancer cells, preventing the development of cancer.
But if someone with exposure to asbestos history has a defective tumor suppressor gene, it can increase the likelihood of developing mesothelioma of the person.
"If a mutated tumor suppressor gene is already present in the father's sperm or the egg of the mother, genetic damage can be transmitted to their children," according to the fact sheet.
research shows some people are born with suppressor genes mutated tumors, but it is an extremely rare event, and that does not necessarily mean a person will develop cancer.
translation research in Real Life
God knows if my father had mutated tumor suppressor genes. with the huge cost of genetic testing, most people will never know if the genes they inherited from their parents make . more likely to develop mesothelioma
I guess some people at risk for mesothelioma could have genetic testing to learn more about the likelihood of developing cancer. - if they are blessed enough to permit or have an insurance plan that covers
Regardless, genetic research is useful for us in some ways, because it helps us understand why some people exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma as of others do not.
