About Mesothelioma

About Mesothelioma forthepeople.com

About Mesothelioma

Learn about Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that develops in the pleura, the thin membrane that separates the lungs from the chest wall. When it runs along the membrane, it results in breathing difficulties, chest pain and fever. It usually occurs from previous exposure to asbestos, a type of mineral fiber used in the insulation industry. Less commonly, mesothelioma can also arise, more rarely, along the lining of the stomach.

Key facts:

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that usually arises from the lining of the lungs (pleura) & in the lining of the stomach (peritoneum).

Although patients with mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos, only a small percentage of patients with exposure develop the disease.

Mesothelioma is not caused because you smoke.

Other causes have been identified, and sometimes it is unclear what causes a person to get mesothelioma.

What Is Mesothelioma?

There are approximately 3,500 new cases of mesothelioma every year in the United States. This is a very small number compared to lung cancer (220,000 new cases per year in the United States). This is caused by exposure to asbestos in at least 80 percent of cases, and also in some cases, there may be exposure that may be unknown to the patient. When asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lungs, they can penetrate very deeply because of their small size and accumulate near the lining of the lungs, or pleura. This fiber can irritate the pleura which results in inflammation and growth of abnormal mesothelial cells (surface layer), which can eventually cause cancer. Mesothelial cells that grow abnormally produce tumor nodules on the lung surface and cause fluid accumulation (pleural effusion) between the lungs and chest wall resulting in pain and shortness of breath. There are other areas in the body with layers that are similar to the pleura that can also be affected, although it is far less frequent.

How Mesothelioma Affects Parts of Your Body

Mesothelioma, unlike cancer in general, tends to grow mainly along the surface of the lungs & other chest surfaces resulting in pain due to nerve invasion, and shortness of breath due to compression of the lungs or limitation of lung expansion. Tumor nodules and fluid accumulate along the pleural space between the lungs and chest wall. Sometimes tumor growth causes fever. Although mesothelioma can spread to the chest lymph nodes and attack the lungs, it rarely spreads throughout the body. If left untreated, mesothelioma worsens and can cause death.

How Serious is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a very serious disease. While promising research efforts are underway, there is currently no consistently more effective treatment for this disease. However, symptomatic relief, sometimes called palliative or supportive care, can often control debilitating symptoms. The severity of mesothelioma can vary from person to person.

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Mesothelioma Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors

Mesothelioma generally occurs in people who have previously been exposed to asbestos, sometimes around 40 to 60 years before diagnosis. In most cases, mesothelioma occurs at least 20 years after asbestos exposure. Those who get mesothelioma are usually exposed to asbestos higher than those affected by other asbestos-related diseases, including lung scarring (fibrosis) and lung cancer.

What are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?

Less than 5 percent of people exposed to asbestos will eventually develop mesothelioma. Sometimes, the diagnosis found on chest X-rays is done for other reasons.

The most common symptoms are:

-  Hard to breathe

- Chest pain, increases during breathing efforts

- Permanent dry cough

- Frequent cold symptoms of the chest

- The development of cancer can also cause general symptoms such as:

- Weight loss with low appetite

- general fatigue

- Low grade fever

When other areas of the body are affected by mesothelioma, other local symptoms can occur:

When the peritoneum or the lining of the stomach is involved, and swelling in the abdomen, constipation, intestinal obstruction and pain and nausea can occur.

Abnormal mass or swelling can be felt in the scrotum when the layer is involved

Rarely, the body's defense mechanism can try to control the disease by at least producing antibodies intended to fight cancer that can cause symptoms, such as hypoglycemia, blood clots in the legs or lungs and various neurological symptoms. These symptoms are called "paraneoplastic" which means "related to cancer."

What Causes Mesothelioma?

Researchers are still trying to understand what causes mesothelioma, in addition to responding to asbestos fibers over a long period of time.

What is Asbestos?

When an individual is exposed to asbestos, small fibers easily inhaled into the lungs, increase the risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer or a type of scar-lung disease called asbestosis.

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What is a Risk Factor?

Asbestos Exposure: Asbestos is a mineral fiber that is fire resistant and also hot, which has been used in insulation & refractory materials. Concerns about human safety appeared at the beginning of the 20th and their use was eventually banned or strictly regulated in most countries 30 years ago. Most individuals who develop mesothelioma due to asbestos are exposed during their work, which is called "occupational exposure". Typical jobs related to asbestos exposure include mining or grinding, electricians, plumbers, plumbers, insulators and even individuals who have renovated old homes or lived with workers exposed to asbestos. Living at home that contains asbestos is generally not considered a cause of mesothelioma when asbestos is closed on the walls and ceiling, and is not directly inhaled by individuals.

Smoking is not a risk factor for mesothelioma; However, quitting smoking is very important: exposure to asbestos does not increase the risk of mesothelioma, but increases the risk of lung cancer in general.

Other types of fibers, such as erionite, are considered responsible for mesothelioma, too. Erionite has been identified in certain regions of Turkey called Cappadocia and is considered responsible for the high levels of mesothelioma observed in the area.

Age: The risk of developing mesothelioma increases with age. This is due to the fact that it takes a long time for mesothelioma to develop after exposure to asbestos, usually at least 20 years. This period of exposure to malignancy is called latency.

Other causes have been found, including radiation therapy before, especially in patients who have received high-dose radiation therapy to the chest for cancer, as in the treatment of lymphoma, and also certain rare genetic mutations. This cause is far more common than asbestos exposure.

Stomach & peritoneum

A piece of tissue covering your stomach organs (stomach) is called the peritoneum. This helps to protect your bowels and keeps them in place. It also creates a lubricating liquid that helps the organs move smoothly towards each other as you move.

Mesothelioma of the tissue that lines your abdominal cavity is called peritoneal mesothelioma. It usually does not spread to other body parts.

Benign Mesothelioma

Very rarely, this type of mesothelioma that is not cancerous (benign) can develop in the lining of the lungs or the lining of your reproductive organs. This can occur in men or women. This tumor is so rare that we don't cover it here.