Mesothelioma Cancer
Mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that is caused by asbestos exposure is a serious disease. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause pleural cancer and swallowing asbestos can cause cancer of the peritoneal region.
The symptoms may be similar to those of less serious diseases and can take 10 - 50 years to show. Symptoms include breathlessness, chest pain and abdominal distress.
Risk Factors
Asbestos fibres can cause mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is a form of cancer that develops in linings of the chest cavity or lungs. Mesothelioma may also grow in the peritoneum (the membrane surrounding the heart) or in the pericardium. The cancer may take up to 50 years to develop before it manifests symptoms. These symptoms are frequently mistaken for flu like illnesses. Mesothelioma is most often found in older people, and it is more common in men than women.
The most significant risk factor for mesothelioma is exposure asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral made up of tiny fibres which were employed in construction materials, like ceilings and walls, because of its resistance heat and fire. It was also employed in the production of goods like pipes insulation, shingles, insulation and cement. Mesothelioma is a serious disease for people who work in industries that use asbestos, for example shipbuilding, mining or construction. However even those who had a secondary exposure to asbestos like relatives who brought home asbestos-contaminated clothes and skin, are also at risk.
A small percentage (less than five percent) of mesothelioma is due to a mutation in the gene BAP1. This genetic change can increase the chance of developing mesothelioma in those who have been exposed asbestos.
The age of the patient is also an important risk factor. Mesothelioma most commonly affects people over the age of 45, and two-thirds of those diagnosed are aged 65 or older. This is due to the long duration of exposure to asbestos. However it is also possible that older people are more likely to develop the disease because of the prolonged exposure.
White males are more likely develop mesothelioma than any other race or gender. This is because historically more white men have been employed in jobs that expose them to greater risk of asbestos than other groups. Mesothelioma is most often afflicted by those who were exposed to asbestos prior to the 1980s, when more strict regulations were in place.
Symptoms
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused by asbestos, develops in the protective linings of several organs. The cancerous tumors which form within the tissue may cause irreparable damage and pain. The malignancy could be spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the bloodstream.
Mesothelioma symptoms are similar to symptoms of other diseases, such as pneumonia or the flu. They often take 10 - 50 years to manifest after exposure to asbestos. This delay in time makes it difficult to recognize mesothelioma early, and the symptoms can be misinterpreted as other diseases.
In most cases, the malignant tumors start in the chest cavity and lungs (pleura). Mesothelioma may also form in the linings surrounding the abdomen and heart. In rare cases the disease can affect the testes' lining, or the sac that surrounds the heart (pericardium).
Asbestos is minerals in a grouping that form long, thin fibres. These fibers are so durable that they cannot be broken down by chemicals or water, or even bacteria. They were commonly used in a variety construction and household products before scientists realized the dangers they posed to people's lives.
The majority of patients with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos in the workplace or at home and the majority of those exposed were employed in the US Navy, air force, shipbuilding industry or construction. It is more prevalent in men than women and veterans comprise about 30% of mesothelioma cases.
Medical tests and imaging scans can aid in diagnosing mesothelioma. This includes X-rays CT scanners, MRIs, and PET scans. The doctor may also send a sample of tissue to a laboratory for testing.
The results will allow doctors to determine the mesothelioma type and stage of the disease, which affects the prognosis and treatment options. The majority of mesothelioma types are epithelioid and sarcomatoid and between 10% and 15 percent are biphasic, or mixed. Epithelioid cancer is less aggressive and generally has the highest survival rates. Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma is harder to identify and has a lower prognosis.
Diagnosis
It is difficult to recognize mesothelioma in particular at an early stage. Patients should first consult their primary care physician when they notice any signs such as chest pains or coughing. The doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to the patient breathing and record their health history and work history. This includes any asbestos exposure information, which is crucial in determining mesothelioma's diagnosis.
Doctors must rule out any other diseases before they can make a diagnosis because mesothelioma symptoms are similar to other diseases. For example mesothelioma is a cancer that usually spreads to a person's lungs from another part of their body, such as their abdomen or chest wall. Asbestos-related victims are more prone to lung problems, including mesothelioma and pneumonia. symptoms may be confused with other respiratory ailments.
Mesothelioma can be diagnosed with blood tests and imaging tests, as well as biopsies. new britain asbestos law firm will aid doctors in locating the location of the cancer, which is often found in the lungs, but may also be located in the stomach or the testicles. The tests will help doctors determine how far cancer has spread within the body.
A CT scan or MRI could reveal mesothelioma-related signs. These include calcium deposits (also known as plaque) in the pleura and an accumulation between the lungs and chest wall. These tests can also determine whether a person has more lungs on one side or the other.
In many cases a biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma. This procedure involves taking small portions of tissue and analyzing them in the lab for mesothelioma.
Some patients may need additional tests, such as FDG-positron emission tomography (PET), which allows doctors to see how the tumor is affecting lungs' blood supply; mediastinoscopy, which enables doctors to examine and collect lymph nodes located in the middle of the chest and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), which uses sound waves to study mesothelium and the lungs. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, and doctors are still learning to treat it effectively. Therefore, patients who are diagnosed with cancer must consider their options carefully and decide what treatment is best for them.
Treatment
Mesothelioma can affect the lung's lining (pleural mesothelioma) and abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma) or heart (pericardial mesothelioma). The symptoms are not usually evident for a long time after exposure to asbestos. Because of this, it's important for people who have had to work with asbestos to have their health checked for any unusual symptoms.
A doctor will collect an medical history to look for mesothelioma risk factors, including how long and how often an individual was exposed to asbestos. The doctor will also perform an examination to find mesothelioma-related signs, for example, fluid accumulation in the chest cavity. Mesothelioma is classified by the type of cells that form in the mesothelium, and where those cells are located. Epithelioid-like mesothelioma comprises 60 to 80% of mesothelioma. The other types of mesothelioma are biphasic mesothelioma and sarcomatoid which make up about 10% to 15% of mesothelioma patients.
There are a myriad of treatment options for mesothelioma. The kind of treatment you choose is based on the type and stage of mesothelioma.
In some cases, mesothelioma is treated with chemotherapy or radiation. During these treatments, doctors administer powerful chemotherapy medications or use special equipment to eliminate cancerous tumors and decrease the chance of mesothelioma returning.
Other mesothelioma types can be treated through surgery, which removes parts of the lining of the affected organ. This can also help relieve symptoms such as breathing problems.
If someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma pleural and their doctor recommends a procedure called VATS, which involves inserting a camera into the lungs in order to remove part of the pleura and lungs. This procedure can alleviate the breathlessness that is caused by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, but does not cure the disease.
Other treatment options may include support and management of pain. It is essential that patients who suffer from mesothelioma have as much information about the disease as they can and how to deal with it. The more they are aware of the more equipped they will be to plan for a an enjoyable and healthy future.