Malignant Mesothelioma is also called asbestos cancer since it is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. This describes an aggressive cancer affecting the lining (mesothelium) surrounding various organs in the body. This lining exists throughout the body, but tumors are most often seen in the pleura lining the lungs and chest or in the abdomen. About two thirds of all cases of mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma and asbestos affecting the abdominal cavity is called peritoneal mesothelioma and is the next most common place asbestos related cancer is seen. Pericardial mesothelioma develops when the lining around the heart is affected. It represents only 1% of the cases diagnosed.
Mesothelioma causes more than 3,000 deaths annually even though it is one form of cancer that is preventable. Although asbestos exposure most often results in mesothelioma, regular forms of lung cancer may also be caused by it. Mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive types of lung cancer. However, strides are constantly being made in treating this deadly form of cancer. Different types of mesothelioma and asbestos caused cancers require specific forms of treatment, and often have very different prognoses. Patients should continue to check for the latest news and resources while fighting this disease.
Mesothelioma is diagnosed four times more frequently in men than women due to their working in jobs which expose them to asbestos. Asbestos describes a group of minerals occurring naturally as fivers used in certain industries. These fibers tend to break into tiny particles that float in the air easily breathed in and sticking to skin, hair and clothes (where they can expose family members.) The person washing the clothes can inhale the fibers and dust. Inhaled particles lodge in the lungs, damaging lung cells, which increases cancer risks. Shipbuilding, asbestos mining, manufacturing, work with insulation, and automotive brake repair are industries causing asbestos exposure. It takes many years for this illness to present in most people. The average age at diagnosis is 62, and life expectancy after that is only about one year. Factors such as how early the cancer is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated can positively affect the prognosis.
Mesothelioma spreads and grows differently than other tumors. It causes the pleural lining to expand, pressing against the lung or abdominal organs. Growing along the pleural lining, mesothelioma eventually hardens this casing around the lung making deep breathing impossible. It doesn’t spread to other organs until later stages of the disease. Lung symptoms are chest pain, shortness of breath, a dry cough or wheezing, reduced ability to expand the lungs, and pleural effusions. Abdominal mesothelioma symptoms include abdominal pain, tenderness and enlargement, loss of weight and appetite, and fluid buildup in the peritoneal cavity.
If these symptoms are present and there is a likelihood that mesothelioma and asbestos exposure have occurred, even if no diagnosis has been made, the individual should get screened for this illness by a doctor. Often times a biopsy is the best method of diagnosis. When mesothelioma is diagnosed early (stage 1), it is usually curable by surgical removal of the entire tumor. Unfortunately it is usually detected at later stages when it has significantly impacted the pleural lining and surrounding organs. Then it is difficult to treat and significantly impacts the patient’s quality of life.
Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are all treatments used for mesothelioma. An oncologist who is experienced treating mesothelioma and asbestos related cancer increases a patient’s improved prognosis. Multimodal therapy (two or more of these treatments in combination) are currently showing promise in effectively extending patient’s life expectancy.
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