Asbestos is a naturally occurring compound that is highly useful. It has been used extensively in industries for many purposes. Cement manufacturing units and ship building companies have been using it on a large scale. The use of asbestos increased since 1940s and many people were engaged in its extraction, processing and related activities. But the link between mesothelioma and asbestos was not found out till 1960s. Hence no precautionary measures were taken by the company owners and no restrictions were imposed by the government to protect the workers from inhaling or ingesting the harmful fibers floating in the air.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that’s nearly always caused by exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malevolent cells develop in the mesothelium, a protecting lining that covers almost all of the body’s internal organs. Its most typical site is the pleura ( outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall ), but it may also occur in the peritoneum ( the liner of the intestinal cavity ), the heart, the pericardium ( a sac that surrounds the heart ) or tunica vaginalis.