Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma cancer is an uncommon disease that causes malignant cancer cells to form within the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. It occurs in both benign and malignant forms. The malignant form is the result of exposure to asbestos and may take more than 30 years to develop. 

Definition 

The tissue that lines lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs is called mesothelium. Mesothelioma is a tissue that causes cancer. 

Treatment includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or all three together. 

Types of Mesothelioma cancer 

Pleural Mesothelioma affects the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity. 

Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Pericardium is the stomach lining (abdominal) cavity. 

How Is Malignant Mesothelioma Diagnosed?

 

Mesothelioma is often diagnosed after a patient goes to a doctor because of symptoms. If there is a reason to suspect that you may have Mesothelioma, your doctor will conduct one or more tests to find out if the disease is present. Symptoms might suggest that a person may have Mesothelioma but tests are needed to confirm the diagnosis.  

Symptoms of Mesothelioma  

Early symptoms of Mesothelioma are not specific to the disease and people often ignore them or mistake them for common or minor ailments. Most people with Mesothelioma have symptoms for few months before they are diagnosed although in some people this is longer.  

Symptoms of pleural Mesothelioma (Mesothelioma of the chest) can include:  

• Pain in the lower back or at the side of the chest
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Fever
• Sweating
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Trouble swallowing
• Hoarseness
• Swelling of the face and arms
• Muscle weakness

 

Symptoms of peritoneal Mesothelioma can include:

• Abdominal (belly) pain
• Swelling or fluid in the abdomen
• Weight loss
• Nausea and vomiting

 

If the symptoms are positive, Mesothelioma might be present and more tests will be conducted. These might include imaging tests, blood tests, and other procedures. 

Treatment Options 

Treatment method that you choose will depend on how advanced your disease exists in your body. It also depends on your general physical health and personal preferences. At this point of time, pleural Mesothelioma cannot be cured although some therapies such as the chemotherapy drug may decrease pain and provide a better quality of life.  

Some doctors use a combination of Mesothelioma therapies such as surgery plus chemotherapy or only surgery, or chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This is called “multimodality therapy.” The current available treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy are in the experimental stages of development. 

The increased incidence of Mesothelioma has been closely linked to the rise of the asbestos industry and the use of asbestos in fireproofing and insulation. 50 to 80% of patients diagnosed with MPM are aware of exposure to asbestos at some point in their lives. Men are typically affected more due to the common presence of asbestos in industrial settings. The increasing incidence suggests that neither the benefits of legislation to reduce asbestos exposure in the workplace have not yet taken effect, nor asbestos exposure during the 1960′s was more widespread. 

Mesothelioma Cancer 

Mesothelioma cancer is an uncommon disease that causes malignant cancer cells to form within the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. It occurs in both benign and malignant forms. The malignant form is the result of exposure to asbestos and may take more than 30 years to develop. 

Definition 

The tissue that lines lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs is called mesothelium. Mesothelioma is a tissue that causes cancer. 

Treatment includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or all three together. 

Types of Mesothelioma cancer 

Pleural Mesothelioma affects the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity. 

Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Pericardium is the stomach lining (abdominal) cavity. 

How Is Malignant Mesothelioma Diagnosed?

 

Mesothelioma is often diagnosed after a patient goes to a doctor because of symptoms. If there is a reason to suspect that you may have Mesothelioma, your doctor will conduct one or more tests to find out if the disease is present. Symptoms might suggest that a person may have Mesothelioma but tests are needed to confirm the diagnosis.  

Symptoms of Mesothelioma  

Early symptoms of Mesothelioma are not specific to the disease and people often ignore them or mistake them for common or minor ailments. Most people with Mesothelioma have symptoms for few months before they are diagnosed although in some people this is longer.  

Symptoms of pleural Mesothelioma (Mesothelioma of the chest) can include:  

·     Pain in the lower back or at the side of the chest

·     Shortness of breath

·     Cough

·     Fever

·     Sweating

·     Fatigue

·     Weight loss

·     Trouble swallowing

·     Hoarseness

·     Swelling of the face and arms

·     Muscle weakness

 

Symptoms of peritoneal Mesothelioma can include:

·     Abdominal (belly) pain

·     Swelling or fluid in the abdomen

·     Weight loss

·     Nausea and vomiting

 

If the symptoms are positive, Mesothelioma might be present and more tests will be conducted. These might include imaging tests, blood tests, and other procedures. 

Treatment Options 

Treatment method that you choose will depend on how advanced your disease exists in your body. It also depends on your general physical health and personal preferences. At this point of time, pleural Mesothelioma cannot be cured although some therapies such as the chemotherapy drug may decrease pain and provide a better quality of life.  

Some doctors use a combination of Mesothelioma therapies such as surgery plus chemotherapy or only surgery, or chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This is called “multimodality therapy.” The current available treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy are in the experimental stages of development. 

The increased incidence of Mesothelioma has been closely linked to the rise of the asbestos industry and the use of asbestos in fireproofing and insulation. 50 to 80% of patients diagnosed with MPM are aware of exposure to asbestos at some point in their lives. Men are typically affected more due to the common presence of asbestos in industrial settings. The increasing incidence suggests that neither the benefits of legislation to reduce asbestos exposure in the workplace have not yet taken effect, nor asbestos exposure during the 1960′s was more widespread.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs.

The most common sites for this disease are as follows:

• Pleura – Outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall
• Peritoneum – The lining of the abdominal cavity,
• Heart
• Pericardium – The sac that surrounds the heart
• Tunica Vaginalis – The membrane covering the testis

People who develop Mesothelioma have worked in job locations where they inhaled asbestos particles or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber. Research also suggests that people who are working in close association with those handling asbestos are also at risk of developing this disease. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between Mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking greatly increases risk of other asbestos-induced cancer.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. The symptoms are as follows:

• Shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall)
• Chest pain
• Weight loss
• Anemia
• Fatigue
• Wheezing and hoarseness in throat
• Blood in the fluid coughed

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

• Blood clots in the veins
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation: a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
• Jaundice or yellowing of the eyes and skin
• Low blood sugar level
• Pleural effusion
• Pulmonary emboli or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
• Severe ascites that is an accumulation of fluid within the two membranes that separate the organs in the abdominal cavity from the abdominal wall.

Diagnostic Methods

Diagnosing Mesothelioma is often tricky because the symptoms are similar to those of a numerous other conditions. In most of the cases, diagnosis begins with a review of the patient’s medical history to gauge whether the patient has been exposed to asbestos or not. In order to better gauge the severity of a patient’s exposure to asbestos, a physical examination is performed followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. If the X-ray reveals pleural thickening, which is commonly seen after asbestos exposure increases the suspicion of Mesothelioma in the patient.

To confirm this suspicion, a CT or MRI scan is scan is conducted. If the scan confirms deposition of fluid in the lungs then the fluid is extracted and a biopsy is conducted for tissue sample from this fluid. Once the biopsy confirms the presence of malignant cells in the body the diagnosis of Mesothelioma is complete

Treatment

During early stages of malignant Mesothelioma, a treatment using conventional therapies in combination with radiation or chemotherapy has proved to be successful in more than 75% of cases. These treatments have helped in extending the patient’s life span by five years or more that is the cancer has gone into remission as a result of these treatments. Surgery which was proved to be helpful in alleviating the effects of many other forms of cancer has largely proved to be ineffective in treatment of Mesothelioma.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma Cancer

Symptoms of Mesothelioma Cancer 

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is primarily caused by exposure to certain types of asbestos, a material once used in building construction. Symptoms of Mesothelioma do not appear immediately after being exposed it takes about 25 to 50 years after the initial exposure to develop those symptoms. It is a slow progressing disease that usually occurs to middle age groups and senior adults after their exposure to asbestos. Like other types of cancer sometimes the disease is asymptomatic, that means there are no symptoms.

The symptoms of Mesothelioma vary greatly from person to person and also on the type of Mesothelioma (pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial) the patient is affected with.

Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma affects the pleura, the lining of the lungs. It is the most common type of Mesothelioma. One of the most common and specific symptoms of pleural Mesothelioma is the accumulation of fluid between the lungs and chest cavity. This causes shortness of breath and requires a doctor to drain the fluid with the help of a fine-needle that makes breathing easier and relieves chest pain. Symptoms of pleural Mesothelioma include:

• Persistent cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Wheezing

People with mesothelioma, chest x-rays may reveal pleural effusion. This is a condition where fluid begins to accumulate outside lungs. Blood clots can also occur in some cases.

Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal Mesothelioma affects the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen. Symptoms of peritoneal Mesothelioma include:

• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal swelling
• Abdominal mass
• Nausea or vomiting
• Change in bowel habits

As peritoneal Mesothelioma advances, a person might experience night sweats, anemia, fever, or even a bowel obstruction. 
 

Symptoms of Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial Mesothelioma affects the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds the heart. The pericardium is a cell that produces a lubricating fluid that protects the heart. They allow the heart to move freely when it is pumping blood to other parts of your body. It is the least common type affecting about five percent of people with the disease. Pericardial Mesothelioma symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath even when not exerting energy
• Heart palpitations or irregular breathing
• Fatigue

Prompt Medical Treatment after Diagnosis

In most cases, the spread of cancer has already occurred even if detected by current and sophisticated medical tests. When all Mesothelioma stages are considered together, 5 year survival rate is only about 14%. Early Mesothelioma is diagnosed incidentally. It is found as a result of the tests that are done for an unrelated medical condition. .When any worker, a friend, or a family member of a worker having worked in an asbestos environment seem to fall ill without a reason should ensure that they get themselves checked for Mesothelioma cancer..

Unfortunately Mesothelioma does not cause any symptoms until it has spread too far to be cured. Symptoms do occur in some patients with early Mesothelioma. Prompt attention to symptoms especially if there is a history of asbestos exposure. Early diagnosis and treatment can cure some patients who are in initial stage of cancer. For others, prompt attention to symptoms can improve the livelihood. Proper treatment can extend their life and relieve then from many symptoms.