What is Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma

What is Mesothelioma ?

Mesothelioma is a type of Cancer that grows from the thin layer of tissues that covers many internal organs. The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall it is because by exposure of asbestos. Approximately 3,200 new case of mesothelioma every year in United State of America. It is caused by exposure to asbestos in at least 80% of the cases the patient may not know about it. When asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lung, they can penetrate very deeply due to their small size and accumulate near the lining of the lung, or pleura. These fibers can irritate the pleura resulting in inflammation and abnormal growth of mesothelial (surface lining) cells, which can eventually lead to cancer. The abnormally growing mesothelial cells produce tumor nodules on the surface of the lung and cause fluid accumulation (pleural effusion) between the lung and the chest wall resulting in pain and shortness of breath. There are other areas in the body with a lining similar to the pleura that can also be affected, although much less commonly. 

How Mesothelioma Affects Your Body

Mesothelioma, unlike other cancers, tends to grow mainly along the surface of the lung and other surfaces of the chest resulting in pain from invasion of nerves, and shortness of breath from compression of the lungs or restriction of lung expansion. Tumor nodules and fluid accumulates along the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Sometimes the growth of the tumor leads to fever. Though mesothelioma can spread to chest lymph nodes and invade into the lung, it is rare for it to spread to the rest of the body. 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 effective treatment for this disease. However, treatment to ease symptoms, sometimes called palliative or supportive care, can often control debilitating symptoms. The severity of mesothelioma can vary from person to person.

Mesothelioma Symptoms, Causes and Risk Factors

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

What Are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?

Less than 5 percent of individuals exposed to asbestos will eventually develop mesothelioma. Sometimes, the diagnosis is discovered on a chest- X-ray done for other reasons.

The most common symptoms are:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain, increased during breathing efforts
• Dry, persistent cough
• Frequent chest cold symptoms
• The progression of the cancer can also result in general symptoms such as:

1. Weight loss with low appetite
2. Generalized fatigue
3. Low grade fever

When other areas of the body are affected by mesothelioma, other localized symptoms may occur:

When the peritoneum (lining on the abdomen) is involved, abdominal swelling, constipation, intestinal obstruction and pain and nausea may occur.

An abnormal mass or swelling may be felt in the scrotum when its lining is involved

Rarely, the defense mechanisms of the body may try to control the disease by producing antibodies aimed at fighting the cancer that can themselves lead to symptoms, such as hypoglycemia, blood clots in the legs or the lungs and various neurological symptoms. These symptoms are called "paraneoplastic" which means "associated with cancer."

What Causes Mesothelioma?

Researchers are still trying to understand what causes mesothelioma, other than as a response to asbestos fibers over a long period of time.

What Is Asbestos?

When an individual is exposed to asbestos, the small fibers can easily be inhaled into the lungs, increasing the risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer and a type of scarring lung disease called asbestosis.

What Are the Risk Factors?

Asbestos exposure: Asbestos is a mineral fiber that resists fire and heat, and has been used in insulation and fire retardant materials. Concerns over human safety appeared at the beginning of the 20th and its use was finally banned or tightly regulated in most countries 30 years ago. Most individuals who develop mesothelioma due to asbestos were exposed during their work, called an "occupational exposure". The typical occupations associated with exposure to asbestos include mining or milling, electricians, plumbers, pipe-fitters, insulators and even individuals who have remodeled older homes or lived with workers exposed to asbestos. Living in a house that contains asbestos is not generally considered to be a cause of mesothelioma when the asbestos is enclosed in walls and ceilings, and not directly breathed by individuals.

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

Other types of fibers, such as Erionite, are thought to be responsible for mesothelioma, as well. Erionite has been identified in a specific region in Turkey called Cappadocia and is thought to be responsible for the high rate of mesothelioma observed in that 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 asbestos exposure, usually at least 20 years. This length of time from exposure to malignancy is called latency.

Other causes have been discovered, including prior radiation therapy, particularly in patients who have received high doses of radiation therapy to the chest for cancer, such as in the treatment of lymphoma, and certain rare genetic mutations. These causes are much less common than asbestos exposure.

Sometimes, no cause can be identified at all.

When to Visit the Doctor

If you have been exposed to asbestos at work or somewhere else, have been diagnosed with frequent pneumonia's, or experience the symptoms listed above, you should consult your healthcare provider.