Mesothelioma Advice - Questions And Answers

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Article Title: Mesothelioma Advice - Questions And Answers

Author: Rick Hendershot

Word Count: 1124

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What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is cancer of the mesothelium. Like most cancers,

mesothelioma 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, 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.

Mesothelioma 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 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, 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 fibre 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

tradespeople were exposed to asbestos fibres 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 mesothelioma 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 mesothelioma include pain or swelling in the

abdomen, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia, and fever.

Many of the symptoms of mesothelioma can easily be mistaken for

allergies or a common cold. Mesothelioma 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 becomes extremely

aggressive. In its active phase, mesothelioma 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 mesothelioma. 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 comman and less dangerous sicknesses 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 mesothelioma, 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

traightforward 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 mesothelioma 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.

Sometimes, these treatments are combined. If the mesothelioma

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 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.

As with all cancers, early detection is the best defense

against mesothelioma. Anyone who has been exposed to asbestos

should be alert for symptoms and contact a doctor immediately.

Detecting mesothelioma at the earliest stage possible greatly

increases the chances of beating the disease.

About The Author: For more information about Mesothelioma visit

http://www.mesotheliomaadvisors.com ==> For more articles and

reports about mesothelioma see

http://www.mesotheliomaadvisors.com/reports.html ==> Rick

Hendershot is a writer and online publisher. For publishing and

promotion opportunities see http://www.linknet-blogs.com

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