Mesothelioma 101: What You Need to Know

Despite the fact that mesothelioma has been on the rise just recently, not many people know what this is, what causes it, and what the signs and symptoms are. This article aims to inform the general reading public about mesothelioma: its nature, its cause, and its signs and symptoms.

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma, or more precisely known as malignant mesothelioma, is a rare form of cancer that develops from transformed cells that originated from the mesothelium, the protective layer that covers the many internal organs of the body.

It develops in many different parts of the body, but there are some of the common anatomical sites where mesothelioma develops. Among others, these anatomical sites include the pleura (the outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart), and tunica vaginalis (a sac that surrounds the testis). This type of cancer is also known to grow at a much faster rate, and causes metastasis of isolated limbs of the body, thus, bringing unwilling predictions.

What Causes Mesothelioma?

The most common and considered as the undisputed cause of mesothelioma is prolonged exposure to asbestos. There are several ways a person can come in contact with asbestos fibers: occupational, environmental, and paraoccupational.

People who work in asbestos-exposed areas, such as construction site, ship yards, and factories are considered to have the highest risk rate of developing mesothelioma. However, some people come in contact with asbestos fibers due to their locality's proximity to naturally occurring asbestos or minerals with the same properties as that of asbestos, such as the zeolite mineral known as erionite. Some people develop mesothelioma due to secondary exposure to asbestos; this is known as the paraoccuopational exposure. Those whose family members work in an asbestos-exposed area are also in the risk of developing mesothelioma, as asbestos dust and/or fibers can accumulate in their clothes and can be brought home. This is the reason why people who work in asbestos-exposed area are required to take a shower and change clothes before going out of the area. Another reason that a person can develop mesothelioma is due to their exposure to buildings constructed with asbestos-based materials. Small but regular exposure to asbestos can lead to mesothelioma development.

What Are the Common Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma?

Common symptoms of mesothelioma include breathing problem, uncontrollable cough, severe chest pain, weakness, and/or unexpected weight loss. The common signs and symptoms of mesothelioma are often wrongly thought of as simple diseases and/or symptoms of common illness, and when it is detected, it is often too late to reverse or cure it. Most of the time, mesothelioma are confirmed after the doctor have conducted a biopsy on the anatomical site where the mesothelioma cells have gathered.

Christian George Acevedo has been writing for the web since 2005. Since then, he has written thousands of articles for his clients. Check out more of Christian's articles at Helium and Suite 101. He has actually written dozens of articles about mesothelioma at http://gettoknowmesothelioma.blogspot.com/.Feel free to contact him at powerwordsonlinewriting@gmail.com.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christian_G_Acevedo/744583
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Get to Know Everything About Mesothelioma

Mesothelium is a type of tissue lining the lungs, stomach, heart and other vital organs. Once these tissues are exposed to risk factors, specifically asbestos, an individual becomes susceptible to a rare type of cancer we call mesothelioma cancer.

Also known as malignant mesothelioma, this illness comes in three types: pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type, accounting to more than 70 percent of all cases of mesothelioma. This usually afflicts the pleura, a lining in the lungs. Meanwhile, peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the abdominal cavity, while pericardial mesothelioma originates from the cardial lining pericardium.

In the United Kingdom alone, more than 2,300 people are found positive with mesothelioma symptoms. People who are constantly exposed to asbestos, be it at home or at work. This could either be direct exposure or through inhalation, although a person does not usually develop the disease, let alone manifest mesothelioma symptoms until many years after his exposure. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, it could even take takes 30-50 years to manifest mesothelioma.

Washing clothes of someone who has direct contact with asbestos, and other indirect factors, could also put a person at risk of mesothelioma.

While tobacco and mesothelioma do not have any significant relationship with each another, smoking could hasten asbestos-induced lung cancer.

Individuals who were exposed to asbestos could be susceptible to "collected damages for asbestos-related disease," mesothelioma being one of them. This stems to the legal issues surrounding compensation via asbestos funds or class action lawsuits regarding mesothelioma, a hot topic these days.

The most common symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath caused by pleural effusion, which happens upon the formation of fluid between lungs and chest walls. Also common are chest pains and rapid weight loss. Chest x-ray and CT scan could reveal the presence of mesothelioma, although more specific confirmations via serous effusion cytology or biopsy and microscopic examination.

Although chemotherapy, radiation and cobalt therapies, as well as surgery sometimes, are proven effective in combating cancer, the same could not be said with mesothelioma given the poor mesothelioma prognosis as manifested by patients.

However, recent scientific research has produced significant breakthroughs with regard to treatment protocols for mesothelioma patients and more options are now available for managing mesothelioma and supporting improved quality of life. This sheds light, especially the afflicted individuals, who endure the physical, emotional, and financial strain of a seemingly hopeless condition. Likewise, recently diagnosed patients often bombard their physicians about what treatment is best for this disease. Aside from the traditional cancer therapies we've mentioned above, lately-introduced chemotherapy drugs such as Alimta® and Cisplatin have shown promising results in some patients with mesothelioma.

Christian George Acevedo has been writing for the web since 2005. Since then, he has written thousands of articles for his clients. Check out more of Christian's articles at http://gettoknowmesothelioma.blogspot.com./Feel free to contact him at powerwordsonlinewriting@gmail.com.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christian_G_Acevedo/744583Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7721069

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Define Mesothelioma: How To Spot Symptoms of This Disease

You can't even turn on the television without seeing an ad by some lawyer who is working a class action suit for people who have mesothelioma. To get a clear understanding of what is going on, let's define mesothelioma, and learn not only what it is, but how you get it and what your options are.

The short answer is that it is a tumor of mesothelial tissue, most often found to be malignant, that is usually located in the peritoneum or pleura. The peritoneum is the lining of the abdominal cavity, and the pleura is the outer lining of the internal chest wall and the lungs. But mesothelioma is also found in the heart or the pericardium, which is the sac that contains the heart, and the tunica vaginalis.

But it is not enough to just define mesothelioma. You also need to know how you get it. Oil refinery workers, people who served in the navy and worked in the boiler rooms of ships, miners and smelters, workers involved in the manufacture and repair of automobiles, construction workers, military personnel who were exposed to asbestos...ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS, is a candidate for this disease.

- mesothelioma definition

Symptoms of this condition should be part of the mesothelioma definition. Unexplained weight loss, chest pain, and shortness of breath indicate the possibility of pleural effusion, which is fluid gathering between the wall of the chest and the lungs. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor at once, especially if you know you have been exposed to asbestos.

Sometimes it is discovered while taking a chest X-ray or a CT scan. Then a biopsy would be taken, using a thorascope. Radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery may be tried, but the prognosis is not very good. Unfortunately, as with all cancers, early detection is important, and there are no good screening tests yet.

The definition of mesothelioma is a grim one. While it is considered to be a rare form of cancer, in that about 70-80 % of the time it is contracted by people who have inhaled asbestos, it is a killer. For many years asbestos has been used in brake linings, textiles, flooring, cement, roof shingles, and worst of all, in insulation. And other conditions arise from inhaling and swallowing asbestos; cancers of the lungs, the kidneys, and the larynx.

We need to do more than define mesothelioma...we need to find better screening and treatment methods.

I can't go into all of the information that's available about which mesothelioma support group will be good for you and available in your area in this article.However, if you want to learn more about how to deal with this disease, you can check out the Mesothelioma Resource [http://www.mesotheliomaresourceguide.com] Guide. I had a friend with mesothelioma, and I have put together a resource site where you can get good information about all facets of mesothelioma help available. Feel free to visit it at: www.mesotheliomaresourceguide.com [http://www.mesotheliomaresourceguide.com]Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sandi_Oertell/825780Article 

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