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Mesothelioma
Advice - Questions And Answers
What is
mesothelioma?
Mesotheloma is
cancer of the mesothelium. Like
most cancers, mesothilioma
involves the abnormal dividing
of cells of a particular part of
the body, in this case the mesothelium. Mesothelioma is so
deadly because it remains
dormant for many years and then
begins to rapidly expand. The
cancer then begins to invade and
damage nearby tissue, also including
the vital organs.
What is the
mesothelium?
Many of the
internal organs of the body are
protected by a membrane called
the mesothelium. This membrane
actually consists of two layers
of cells. The inner layer
surrounds the organs, and the
second is a sac surrounding the
inner layer. When organs within
this membrane must move, expand
or contract, such as the
heart, lungs, bladder, and so
on, they are able to do so
because the mesothelium produces
a lubricating fluid between the
two layers. Mesotyelioma most
often begins in the pleura or
peritoneum. The pleura surrounds
the lungs and covers the chest
cavity. The peritoneum covers
most of the organs in the
abdominal cavity. Other
mesothelium tissue is also
vulnerable to mesothelioma.
These include the pericardium
that surrounds and protects the
heart; the tunica vaginalis
testic which surrounds the
internal male reproductive
organs; and the tunica serosa
uteri which is the membrane
covering the internal
reproductive organs found in women.
Who is at
greatest risk to develop
mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma has
a very specific cause - exposure
to asbestos. During the first
half of the previous century,
and
right up until the mid 1970s
asbestos was an important
material used to insulate
buildings, machines, heavy
equipment, and a broad range of
commercial applications. Because
it was plentiful and inexpensive
to mine, asbestos was used in
many building products such as
home insulation, floor, ceiling
and roof tiles. It was also used
in commonly found commercial
products such as brake linings
and pipe insulation. This meant
that millions of people were
coming in contact with asbestos
on a daily basis. And since the
effects of exposure to asbestos fiber often do not become
apparent for 30 or 40 years
after prolonged exposure,
companies and health officials
were slow to recognize the
dangers of
asbestos.
As a
result, shipyard workers, men
and women working in asbestos
mines and mills, workers
producing asbestos products,
workers in the heating and
construction industries, and
virtually all other trades people
were exposed to asbestos fibers
for extended periods of time.
Today it is understood that
anyone working with or near
asbestos has an increased risk
of developing mesothelioma, so
there are strictly controlled
limits of exposure in the work
place. But since the dormancy
period of mesotheloma can often
be 30 or 40 years, there are
millions of workers who are at
risk because of their exposure
in the decades before the safety
controls were put in place.
What are the
symptoms of mesothelioma?
Pleural
mesothelioma - cancer of the
pleura or lung lining - causes
shortness of breath or chronic
coughing. Other symptoms of
pleural mesothelioma may include
chest pain, chronic coughing,
shortness of breath, fatigue,
wheezing, hoarseness, weight
loss, or blood in the phlegm
from the lungs when coughing.
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects
the lining around the stomach
and intestines and is usually
just as dangerous. Symptoms of
peritoneal mesotyelioma include
pain or swelling in the abdomen,
weight loss, bowel obstruction,
anemia, and fever. Many of the
symptoms of mesothilioma can
easily be mistaken for allergies
or a common cold. Mesotheloma
is often discovered when
patients think they have one of
these other common illnesses.
How Serious is
Mesothelioma?
By the time most
infected people become aware
they have mesothelioma, it is no
longer dormant and has become
extremely aggressive. In its
active phase, mesotyelioma can
travel quickly, and is almost
impossible to stop. There are
treatments used to keep the
patient comfortable, but there
is currently no cure for
mesotheloma. As many as 75% of
those who develop the disease
will lose their life within one
year. The remainder may last for
up to an additional six months.
This makes it extremely
important to detect the disease
before it enters its active
phase.
How is
mesothelioma diagnosed?
Mesothelioma is
often not diagnosed until it
reaches an advanced stage. This
is because of its long dormancy
period, and because once it
becomes active the initial
symptoms are similar to much
more common and less dangerous
illnesses such as colds or the
flu. If a patient has a history
of exposure to asbestos, then a
complete physical examination is
advised. This would normally
include x-rays of the chest or
abdomen and lung function tests.
It might also include a CT (or
CAT) scan or an MRI. Both of
these tests give detailed
pictures of areas inside the
body. If these tests indicate
the probability of mesothilioma,
then it is necessary to perform
a biopsy to confirm the
diagnosis. Doing a biopsy
involves an oncology specialist
taking a small sample of
affected tissue and examining it
under a microscope for signs of
malignancy. Depending on the
location of the affected tissue,
doing a biopsy can be a
relatively straightforward
procedure. It normally involves
the insertion of a small
instrument into the suspect
cavity. These surgical devices
have both viewing and sample
taking capabilities. So the
oncologist or surgeon can look
at the cavity from the inside,
and then take tissue samples
from different areas. If
mesotyelioma is discovered, the
initial tests are followed up
with what is called "staging".
This involves more tests to
determine how far the disease
has spread.
How is
mesothelioma treated?
Standard
treatments include the normal
options available to cancer
patients: surgery, radiation
therapy, and chemotherapy.
Oftentimes these treatments may
be
combined. If the mesotheloma is
discovered at an early enough
stage these treatments can
sometimes be effective. Among
the treatments that are used in
order to reduce the effects of
the disease are oxygen, postural
drainage and pain killers. Many
alternative treatment methods
are also being tested, including
attempts to strengthen the
body's immune system. Gene
therapy is also being tested in
an attempt to attack the problem
at the DNA level. Other
treatments which are being tried and
tested include homeopathy, herbs
and acupuncture. Unfortunately
none of these have been found to
be very effective once the
disease reaches its aggressive
stage. Early detection - as with
all cancers - is the best
defense against mesothilioma.
Anyone who has been exposed to
asbestos should be alert for
symptoms and contact a doctor
immediately. Detecting
mesotheloma at the earliest
stage possible greatly increases
the chances of beating the
disease
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