Everything You Need To Know About Mesothelioma

Ever believe that being exposed to asbestos will not have any negative side effects? Unfortunately, many who work in certain trades and industries do not realize how harmful the exposure is until years later and it is too late. As a result, malignant mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer, can slowly develop, and many individuals are not truly aware of this form of cancer or they simply lack the facts about it. Continue reading to learn the symptoms, causes, and risk factors of this dreadful disease.

What Is Mesothelioma?

Essentially, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that gradually develops in the thin layer of protective tissues known as the mesothelium that lines several major body cavities and covers most of the body’s internal organs. When the cells of the mesothelium undergo changes that become malignant, they can spread to other parts of the body. Mesothelioma can start in the membrane surrounding the lungs, heart or abdomen, with the lungs being the most common site to host the disease. Approximately three-quarters of all cases start in the chest cavity.

Mesothelioma predominantly affects one population group: those who have had prolonged exposure to asbestos. Some two-to-ten percent of this population segment develops mesothelioma, making asbestos exposure the most common cause of the disease. Unfortunately, mesothelioma undergoes a very prolonged latency period, so symptoms of the disease may not appear for up to fifty years after the asbestos exposure has occurred. It is this gradual development of the disease that produces the low five percent to ten percent five-year survival rate.

What Causes Mesothelioma?

Asbestos exposure accounts for nearly seventy-five percent of all the diagnosed cases of mesothelioma and is the root cause of the disease. This includes mainly the people who are directly affected by working with asbestos, but it can also affect family members who are regularly exposed to asbestos fibers brought into the home and individuals living near asbestos mines. More rarely, it can occur in people who have undergone high-dose radiation treatment to the chest or abdomen or who have had exposure to minerals that are related to asbestos. One of the puzzling facts about mesothelioma is that many individuals who have had years of asbestos exposure never develop the disease, while others with very little exposure, do. It is unknown why this happens, although scientists believe there may be a genetic predisposition to developing this disease.

Signs And Symptoms

As previously mentioned, mesothelioma can take years to develop, and may not have visible signs for years, or the symptoms displayed are believed to be related to another condition. The most common symptoms of mesothelioma are shortness of breath, frequent chest pain, obstruction of the bowels, a persistent and chronic cough, and noticeable weight loss. Other symptoms include abdominal swelling, tenderness, and pain, the development of the blood disorder anemia, and lumps that can be felt underneath the skin in the chest or abdomen area.

Treatment Options

As this aggressive cancer is usually only diagnosed when it has become advanced, treatment options are usually limited. Surgery may be an option if the diagnosis is made early. In those cases, surgery is used to remove cancer if it has not spread widely, to decrease fluid build-up in the abdomen and sometimes for the removal of an affected lung. Surgery may also be used to remove the tissue surrounding the heart or abdomen, but this is a way to help relieve painful symptoms, and unfortunately, will not cure the cancer.

Types Of Chemotherapy

Systemic chemotherapy can help shrink or stop mesothelioma from growing and is sometimes used on patients who have cancerous cells and growths that cannot be removed surgically. Sometimes chemotherapy drugs can be administered directly to the abdominal cavity in order to reach the cancer without harming healthy cells. Chemotherapy may be followed by radiation to pinpoint and treat specific areas of cancer or simply to alleviate painful symptoms of the disease. There are also clinical trials investigating gene therapy, biological therapy, which uses the body’s own immune system to battle the cancer, and targeted therapy, which uses certain drugs to specifically target cancer cells in certain parts of the body.

Possible Outcomes

Currently, the prognosis for those suffering from mesothelioma is not great, as the survival rate varies depending on the stage of the cancer. For instance, the rates are generally measured in one to five year increments, as within the first year of the diagnoses, patients are given approximately thirty-eight percent of a survival rate of living one year or longer. The way a patient chooses to handle the situation is something that should be discussed straightforwardly with their physician but is ultimately the patient’s choice. Some prefer to try any experimental therapies available, while others would rather go with palliative care for the pain and symptoms so that they can remain comfortable for as long as possible.