An Introduction to Mesothelioma Cancer. Read this will change and save your life.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is mesothelium cancer. Like most cancers, mesothelioma involves the division of abnormal cells in certain parts of the body - in this case, mesothelium. Mesothelioma is very deadly because it remained dormant for years and then began to grow rapidly. Cancer then starts attacking and damaging nearby tissues, including vital organs.What is mesothelium?
Many organs in the body are protected by a membrane called mesothelium. This membrane actually consists of two layers of cells. The inner layer surrounds the organ, and the second is the sac that surrounds the inner layer. When these organs in the membrane must move, develop or contract - such as the heart, lungs, bladder, etc., they can do so because the mesothelium produces lubricating fluid between the two layers.Mesothelioma most commonly starts in the pleura or peritoneum. Pleura surrounds the lungs and covers the chest cavity. The peritoneum covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. Other mesothelium tissues are also susceptible to mesothelioma. This includes the pericardium that surrounds and protects the heart; testis tunica vaginalis that surrounds the inner male reproductive organs; and uterine tunic serosa which is the membrane that covers the internal reproductive organs in women.
Who is most at risk of developing mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma has a very specific cause - asbestos exposure. During the first half of the previous century, until the mid-1970s asbestos was an important material used to protect buildings, machinery, heavy equipment, and various commercial applications. Because it is abundant and cheap to mine, asbestos is used in many building products such as insulation of houses, floors, ceilings and tiles. It is also used in commercial products commonly found such as brake linings and pipe insulation.This means that millions of people come into contact with asbestos every day. And because the effects of exposure to asbestos fibers often do not become clear for 30 or 40 years after prolonged exposure, companies and health officials are slow to recognize the dangers of asbestos. As a result, shipyard workers, men and women working in asbestos mines and factories, workers producing asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industry, and almost all other traders exposed to asbestos fibers for a long time.
Today it is understood that anyone who works with or near asbestos has an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, so that there are tightly controlled exposure limits in the workplace. But because the mesothelioma dormancy period can often be 30 or 40 years, there are millions of workers at risk because of their exposure in the decades before security controls were put in place.
Pleural mesothelioma - cancer of the pleura or lining of the lungs - causes shortness of breath or chronic cough. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include chest pain, chronic cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, hoarseness, weight loss, or blood in the sputum from the lungs when coughing.
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around the stomach and intestine and is usually as dangerous. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include pain or swelling in the abdomen, weight loss, intestinal obstruction, anemia, and fever.
Many symptoms of mesothelioma can easily be misinterpreted as allergies or common cold. Mesothelioma is often found when patients think they have one of the other common diseases.
How Serious is Mesothelioma?
When most infected people become aware they have mesothelioma, it is no longer active and becomes very aggressive. In its active phase, mesothelioma can run quickly, and it is almost impossible to stop. There are treatments used to keep patients comfortable, but there is currently no cure for mesothelioma. As many as 75% of those who have the disease will lose their lives in one year. The rest can last up to six additional months.This is very important to detect disease before entering its active phase.
How is Mesothelioma diagnosed?
Mesothelioma is often not diagnosed until it reaches an advanced stage. This is because of its long period of dormancy, and because once it becomes active, the symptoms are initially similar to more comman and less dangerous diseases such as colds or flu. If a patient has a history of asbestos exposure, a complete physical examination is recommended. This usually includes x-rays from the chest or tests of stomach and lung function. It may also include a CT (or CAT) scan or MRI. Both of these tests provide a detailed description of the area in the body.If this test shows possible mesothelioma, a biopsy is needed.
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