Introduction
At present there are many discussions around the world, both offline and on the Internet, about mesothelioma. In the USA, there are mesothelioma awareness groups in almost every city in the USA. Besides discussion forums, mesothelioma legal cells, mesothelioma forums, mesothelioma awareness groups etc., today mesothelioma research is a broad topic. There is even a Mesothelioma Memorial Scholarship that is offered every quarter. The scholarship is given in remembrance and honor those that have been touched by mesothelioma. Billions of dollars are spent trying to fight the dreaded disease and find a cure. Let us start by asking the simple question – what is mesothelioma?
What is Mesothelioma?
Asbestos and mesothelioma is infamously associated. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects people exposed to asbestos. This is a rare form of cancer, and affects only people who had a history of exposure to asbestos, not the other. However, can the second case, where someone can come into contact with someone who has been exposed to asbestos in the past. The key to mesothelioma, as evident here, is exposure to asbestos.
The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Once the patient has inhaled asbestos dust / fibers, other factors such as smoking can aggravate the condition over a period of time. There are other causes of mesothelioma too. For example, there have been cases where the patients tested had no history of asbestos exposure. People can get it from people who have asbestos exposure. Before we proceed further, let us define mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma definition: Mesothelioma is defined as an unusual type of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the internal organs of the body. Malignant mesothelioma cells to proliferate in the affected area, and are usually difficult to remove completely.
Mesothelioma has come about only famous from about the 60s, when the symptoms started manifesting, and cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed. Across America, for those who work in facilities related to asbestos, it became a nightmare. It’s more because at that time, asbestos, since the number of these benefits is more than other metals, is widely used in industry worldwide. It is a tragedy of epic proportions waiting to be unleashed, and when it is unleashed, it made havoc in the lives of people all across America. Thousands lost their lives in mesothelioma, and even now, thousands more continue to fight the dreaded disease.
Even now, more than 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the USA. Today, victims of mesothelioma and their relatives struggle to cope with the disease. For survivors of mesothelioma legal action against the industry that brought disease with them is a way of exorcising the pain and agony they undergo. For a number of victims of mesothelioma lawyers are able to settle cases successfully. With mesothelioma support group to help victims of mesothelioma and their relatives cope with life in consequence of the disease. There are websites like http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org, http://www.mesothelioma.com, http://www.cancer.gov, etc..
Mesothelioma is considered to be quite fatal for a number of reasons:
or mesothelioma diagnosis is often too late. It manifests in a multitude of years after exposure to asbestos, as long as 15 to 20 years.
or During the gestation period is very long, as mentioned above, the exposure time is quite short, as less as two to three months. This means that a person does not even have prolonged exposure.
o The average lifespan of a person, after evaluation, is very short, around 24 months.
o It affects not only a person exposed to asbestos, the opportunities that he passed to asbestos dust or fiber to his near and dear ones as well.
Types of Mesothelioma
Especially, mesothelioma occurs in three areas, based on where mesothelioma is categorized into:
or Pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the pleura, the outer lining protecting the chest cavity as well as the lungs)
or Pericardial mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the pericardium, the sac enclosing the heart)
or peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the peritoneum, the lining protecting the abdominal cavity)
Based on the types of cells seen in a mesothelioma patients, mesothelioma can again be categorized into 3 types:
or epithelioid mesothelioma (approximately 50 to 70 percent of all mesothelial cells)
or Sarcomatoid mesothelioma (least common type of mesothelioma cells, approximately 10 to 15 percent)
or biphasic mesothelioma. (Approximately 20 to 40 percent of all mesothelial cells)
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
The symptoms of mesothelioma depends on the type of mesothelioma may have a patient. If a patient is suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma, he will generally feel a pain in the chest region, accompanied by shallow breathing. The symptoms occur owing to deposition of fluid in the pleura.
Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms are different from those of pleural mesothelioma. In the case of localized peritoneal mesothelioma, the symptoms include:
or Fever
or Difficulties with bowel movement
or anemia
or Abnormalities were observed during blood clots
In cases of advanced peritoneal mesothelioma, the symptoms will further include pain, a swelling of the face or neck, and difficulty swallowing.
Mesothelioma Symptoms usually maps to other, lower severe illness. Therefore it is prudent to consult a specialist to determine what the symptoms indicate.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Mesothelioma diagnosis is not an easy task, as the symptoms that map to the other lesser diseases, as mentioned above. The first step in diagnosing mesothelioma is an examination of the patient’s medical history. Important to determine whether patients had any disease symptoms mesothelioma too displayed. At this time, it is also important to determine if the patient has prior exposure to asbestos. If patients do not have any diseases showing symptoms related to mesothelioma, and had exposure to asbestos, then you can have a suspicion of mesothelioma.
It is important to do a detailed physical examination of patients, including x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Focus is usually on the abdomen and chest regions. If there is anything suspicious at the end of analysis, it is advisable to do a biopsy.
A biopsy is usually done by a specialist, either an oncologist or a surgeon. Biopsy involves taking a tissue sample from a patient and subjecting it to certain tests to determine the presence or absence of mesothelioma. Biopsy in cases of mesothelioma can be:
or thoracoscopy (made by taking samples of tissue from inside the breast region, using a thoracoscope)
or peritoneoscopy (made by taking samples of tissue from the abdominal region, with a peritoneoscope)
Once diagnosis is made, it is important to know the stage where the mesothelioma is found. Depending on whether the cancer is still the original site, or if it has spread to other parts of the body, mesothelioma can be called:
or Localized (still the original site)
or Advanced (spread to other parts of the body)
Mesothelioma Treatment
Mesothelioma Treatment varies depending on the type of mesothelioma, as well as the stage where it is seen that. The three most commonly used treatment method against mesothelioma are:
Surgery – surgically removing the cancerous part of the body. For example, malignant pleural mesothelioma treatment may involve removal of the affected lung by performing a pneumonectomy.
or radiation therapy – exposing the affected part of the high-energy rays to kill the malignant cells
or chemotherapy – Use of chemicals / drugs to destroy malignant cells, either by injecting them into patients, or intravenously, or by direct placement in the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).
Besides the three options, the research is underway to find newer and more effective treatment options. Clinical trials have played a major role in the development of newer treatment options.
Mesothelioma Prognosis
In the case of mesothelioma, the prognosis is not as accurate as it is in other lesser serious illness. This is because prognosis usually depends on the stage where a disease is found. Mesothelioma is usually seen relatively late in a patient, so it becomes difficult to state the percentage of cure or lifespan of a patient after treatment. Whatever statistics are available is not as reliable as it ever was one. While it is easy to determine which of the two – the pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma is more difficult to stage, the experts are generally in agreement that a prognosis is relatively poor for both.
However, the latest studies and research have shown that mesothelioma patients may not be as bad off as initially believed. This data is tabulated below.
Detection of Mesothelioma Stages likely safety (No. of Years) Percentage of patients
Mid to advanced stages 3 years 10%
5 years 5%
Early stage 2 years 50%
5 years 20%
This is only general data on mesothelioma prognosis. There are specific data available n the Internet for specific situations and situations.
