Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer. There are two to three thousand cases identified every year in America, with just 3 percent of all diagnosed cancer cases being mesothelioma. There are different types of mesothelioma and there is no cure for the disease.
Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of the disease and this exposure in most cases happened decades before diagnosis Asbestos is a mineral used in many different industries for its fire and heat resistant properties. The mineral is made up of tiny fibers that can easily become airborne. When ingested they can lodge themselves in different mucus membranes in the body causing inflammation or infection, which can result in one of three types of mesothelioma. Each type has different symptoms and varying prognoses.
Pleural Mesothelioma
This is the most common type of mesothelioma, representing 75% of all cases. In this form of the disease, the fibers from asbestos are inhaled and settle in and eventually become lodged in the lining of the lungs known as the pleura. When this happens, the pleural space fills up with fluid. This is a pleural effusion. These fibers cannot only cause the pleural effusion, but can also lead to cancerous tumors on the outside and inside of the surface of the pleura. As pleural mesothelioma progresses, the tumor can totally obliterate the cavity of the lung and spread to the other organs.
The most common symptom of pleural mesothelioma is chest pain. Other symptoms include:
· Coughing
· Difficulties breathing
· Fatigue
· Lumps on the chest under the skin
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Another of the types of mesothelioma affects the peritoneum, which is the membrane that surrounds the abdomen. Twenty percent of mesothelioma cases are this type.
It is not clear just how asbestos fibers get into the abdomen’s lining and become lodged. Most facilities that worked with asbestos were constantly inundated with clouds of the dangerous fibers making it easy for them to land on the food that the workers were eating. Fibers taken home by workers on clothing and hair could have contaminated their own kitchens. It is also possible that fibers that had lodged in the lungs could get into the blood and be carried to the stomach.
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are:
· Swelling in the abdomen
· Abdominal pain
· Weight loss
· Nausea
· Bowel obstruction
Another rare from of peritoneal mesothelioma is mesothelioma of the testicles. The layer that covers the scrotum is part of the peritoneum and asbestos fibers can move to the stomach area and settle in this part of the peritoneum.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Of the types of mesothelioma, this is the least common, making up less than 10% of all cases. This disease affects the pericardium, which is the heart’s lining. In these cases, the asbestos fibers settle in the heart lining and eventually create cancerous tumors.
As with peritoneal mesothelioma, it is not as clear how the fibers get into the pericardium. It is possible that fibers from the lungs break apart and spread via the blood and the heart pumps them into the lining.
The growth of these fibers in the pericardium can cause the tissues to expand and the heart to accumulate fluid. This in turn disrupts the proper functioning of the heart. The symptoms include:
· A heart beat that is irregular
· Difficulties breathing
· Chest pain
· Heart palpitations
· Night sweats
These are the cancerous types of mesothelioma. There is another for of it called benign mesothelioma, which is not cancerous.
Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of the disease and this exposure in most cases happened decades before diagnosis Asbestos is a mineral used in many different industries for its fire and heat resistant properties. The mineral is made up of tiny fibers that can easily become airborne. When ingested they can lodge themselves in different mucus membranes in the body causing inflammation or infection, which can result in one of three types of mesothelioma. Each type has different symptoms and varying prognoses.
Pleural Mesothelioma
This is the most common type of mesothelioma, representing 75% of all cases. In this form of the disease, the fibers from asbestos are inhaled and settle in and eventually become lodged in the lining of the lungs known as the pleura. When this happens, the pleural space fills up with fluid. This is a pleural effusion. These fibers cannot only cause the pleural effusion, but can also lead to cancerous tumors on the outside and inside of the surface of the pleura. As pleural mesothelioma progresses, the tumor can totally obliterate the cavity of the lung and spread to the other organs.
The most common symptom of pleural mesothelioma is chest pain. Other symptoms include:
· Coughing
· Difficulties breathing
· Fatigue
· Lumps on the chest under the skin
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Another of the types of mesothelioma affects the peritoneum, which is the membrane that surrounds the abdomen. Twenty percent of mesothelioma cases are this type.
It is not clear just how asbestos fibers get into the abdomen’s lining and become lodged. Most facilities that worked with asbestos were constantly inundated with clouds of the dangerous fibers making it easy for them to land on the food that the workers were eating. Fibers taken home by workers on clothing and hair could have contaminated their own kitchens. It is also possible that fibers that had lodged in the lungs could get into the blood and be carried to the stomach.
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are:
· Swelling in the abdomen
· Abdominal pain
· Weight loss
· Nausea
· Bowel obstruction
Another rare from of peritoneal mesothelioma is mesothelioma of the testicles. The layer that covers the scrotum is part of the peritoneum and asbestos fibers can move to the stomach area and settle in this part of the peritoneum.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Of the types of mesothelioma, this is the least common, making up less than 10% of all cases. This disease affects the pericardium, which is the heart’s lining. In these cases, the asbestos fibers settle in the heart lining and eventually create cancerous tumors.
As with peritoneal mesothelioma, it is not as clear how the fibers get into the pericardium. It is possible that fibers from the lungs break apart and spread via the blood and the heart pumps them into the lining.
The growth of these fibers in the pericardium can cause the tissues to expand and the heart to accumulate fluid. This in turn disrupts the proper functioning of the heart. The symptoms include:
· A heart beat that is irregular
· Difficulties breathing
· Chest pain
· Heart palpitations
· Night sweats
These are the cancerous types of mesothelioma. There is another for of it called benign mesothelioma, which is not cancerous.
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