Mesothelioma is a rare cancer primarily linked with asbestos exposure, and it is overwhelmingly a male disease. This is largely because most asbestos exposures occur in blue-collar jobs, traditionally male-dominated work settings. Also, the cancer affects men three to four times more than women. However, most women who develop the fatal disease had secondary or environmental exposure to asbestos. Some experience direct contact with the mineral while on the job, and a few develop the disease without any known exposure.
