How Long Do Symptoms of Mesothelioma Appear After Asbestos Exposure?
The time period between exposure to asbestos and the onset of mesothelioma is called the mesothelioma latency period. Mesothelioma has a much longer latency period than other types of lung cancer.
The average latency period for mesothelioma is 10 to 40 years. However, in some cases mesothelioma did not become apparent until 50 or more years after exposure. In the Australian Mesothelioma Surveillance Program, the latency period lasted as long as 75 years.
In contrast, there are other cases in which the mesothelioma developed after only 10 years of exposure. And in the case of Deborah Reeve, a World Trade Center first responder who was exposed to asbestos in 2001, the latency period was only a few years. She had symptoms in 2003, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2004, and died in 2006.
Factors that influence the latency period
In one study, the median exposure period for pleural (lung) mesothelioma was five years, but for peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma median exposure was 11 years. Yet, other cases show that some individuals who develop mesothelioma were exposed for only a few days, whereas other individuals were exposed for 40 years.
Studies show that peritoneal mesothelioma has a shorter average latency period (28 years) than pleural mesothelioma (35 years).
Studies on the mesothelioma latency period have been done all over the world. An Italian study by Claudio and Tommaso Bianchi looked at 811 mesothelioma cases diagnosed from 1968 to 2008 and found the following:
- 717 of the victims were men and 94 were women, and their ages ranged from 32 to 93.
- The latency period ranged from 13 to 73 years.
- The latency period among insulators and dock workers was shorter than the period for other occupations.
The importance of an early mesothelioma diagnosis
If you have been exposed to asbestos, it is important to get regular medical checkups. Diagnostic testing is especially important if you have any asbestos disease symptoms. Diagnosing mesothelioma early on opens up more possibilities for treatment options and can help prolong life.