What is Mesothelioma? A lot of people are not aware of



this disease and thus, die due to the delay in

diagnosis. Millions of people die every year because of

cancer; it is among the most pervasive illnesses every

one of us is exposed to. Generally speaking, a cancer

is a group of diseases characterized by alarming rapid

growth of abnormal cells in the body. The disease can

affect almost any part of the body and among the most

commonly affected are the lungs. Cancer-causing

substances are everywhere, especially in the air that

we breathe so the lungs are vulnerable to several fatal

diseases. One rare cancer that affects the lungs is

Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma has been popularized only because of its

association with asbestos, a fibrous mineral form of

magnesium silicate used in fireproofing, chemical

filters, electrical insulation and others. Most of the

patients diagnosed with Mesothelioma have been

frequently exposed to asbestos. They are those who work

in construction sites, shipyards, insulator makers and

similar places. They usually inhale the impure fibers

from the asbestos that float through the air.

It can be noted that there are about 30-50 per cent of

Mesothelioma patients who did not have any exposure to

asbestos, which leads to the assumption that asbestos

may not be the sole cause of Mesothelioma. There are

some Mesothelioma patients, too, that had only little

exposure to asbestos but had contracted the disease.

Activities such as washing clothes of a person who has

been exposed to asbestos can still put a person at high

risk of Mesothelioma cancer. This disease takes years

to develop so a person exposed to asbestos might be

diagnosed with Mesothelioma only after 20-50 years of

the exposure.

Like other forms of cancers, Mesothelioma is named

after the part which is affected by the disease. In the

case of Mesothelioma, the malignant cells are found in

the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers different

internal organs. This protective sac produces fluid

that lubricates the organs, allowing them to move. They

allow the beating of the heart and expanding and

contracting of the lungs, for example. Specifically,

Mesothelioma affects the lining of the lung and chest

cavity. There are some cases, too, that the lining of

the abdomen (peritoneum) is the one affected. These two

types of Mesothelioma cancer are known as Pleural

Mesothelioma (affecting the lungs) and Peritoneal

Mesothelioma (affecting the abdomen).

Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma include panting,

persistence of cough, loss of weight, fever and chest

pain. On the other hand, Peritoneal Mesothelioma may

cause swelling and pain of the abdomen and also weight

loss. During the early stages of Mesothelioma, the

symptoms are non-specific; thus, the disease is not

immediately identified. Also, the symptoms are often

mistaken as signs of pneumonia. There are instances too

that the patient doesn't show any sign of this deadly

cancer.

If a patient manifests any of the said symptoms, he

must immediately seek a physician's help. Usually, an

xray is required to clearly see the abnormalities in

the lungs (in the case of Pleural Mesothelioma).

Indications of a Mesothelioma cancer include a build-up

of fluid between the pleura covering of the chest wall

and the diaphragm. In normal conditions, the

mesothelial cells produce only small amount of fluid

enough to lubricate the space between the chest wall

and the lung.

The chance of a patient's recovery from Mesothelioma

depends on the extent or stage of the disease and

location of the disease. Furthermore, the person's age

and the way he responds to treatment and medication can

tell whether he can survive the cancer or not.

Generally the patient's option for treatment include:

surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and anticancer

drugs.