You may have idea about it or you are completely ignorant of the dangers and effects in the body this disease causes. The most frequently asked question often asked is “What is mesothelioma cancer?”
Mesotelioma cancer is a very deadly cancer that affects the lining around the lungs, chest area and abdominal cavity. This is also called asbestos lung cancer. The cells or tissues that surround the lining of these organs are calling Mesothelium, the reason why it is called mesothelioma. Mesotheliums are designed to protect the organs by means of the lubricating fluid they produced so that the organs can function properly without causing any friction. Once the Mesothelium is distressed and affected, it will result in painful sensations and other related problems which may lead to cancer of the Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma cancer is very rare but it can prove to be a fatal disease in most cases for there is no cure for this type of cancer. It will start as a tumor in the Mesothelium which can be non-cancerous if the diagnosis is timely and when treated earlier and properly. However, once it proves to be malignant or cancerous, this will require serious and extensive treatment.
Cancer of the Mesothelioma is only caused by over exposure to asbestos. Once the fibers or dust particles of asbestos are inhaled, it causes Mesothelioma. For most cases of Mesothelioma cancer, it was the result of patients who had inhaled the particles of asbestos where she had lived previously or her place of work is exposed to asbestos. The particles of asbestos settle in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or chest. This will cause the cancerous growth of cells. There were reports that once a person is exposed to the particles of asbestos, after a year of exposure, it will result in Mesothelioma or asbestos related diseases. However, there are also cases of Mesothelioma for people who do not have any exposure to asbestos.
The Mesothelioma cancer symptoms may vary depending on the affected part. For pleural Mesothelioma, there is a fluid that accumulates in the pleural space which causes the shortness of breath, pain that occurs in the chest area and trouble swallowing. In abdominal Mesothelioma common symptoms are abdominal swelling, anemia, weight loss, and blood clotting abnormalities are the common symptoms. In Mesothelioma in the chest area, small tumors appear in the wall of the heart which causes the obstruction of the blood flow. This causes the elevation of the blood pressure and other abnormalities. Then the tumor appears at the AV node, it will result in the sudden death of the patient.
On more sever cases of this cancer; there will be massive growth of tumor masses in the cavities of the body and then spread to the other parts of the body thus, causing severe pain, fever and jaundice. Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that has the longest latency period for it takes about 20 to 50 years after exposure before the symptoms start to appear. There was a case that the patients discovered he has Mesothelioma cancer. The patient worked in an asbestos industry for 40 years. It was only on the 40th year that he was diagnosed with the deadly disease.
If diagnosed on time, there are many treatments possible and available. However, diagnosing Mesothelioma is very difficult as well as the Mesothelioma treatment. The treatment for cancer of mesothelioma varies depending on the location and the size of the tumor, the physical stature and the age of the patient and the stage or severity of the cancer.
Being diagnosed with Mesothelioma cancer is an overwhelming experience for the patients as well as the patient’s family. Most cancer treatment involves a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and surgical oncologist plus additional doctors who are experts in the field. These experts will work with the patient to have their own individual and integrated treatment which often consists of the traditional method applied to cancer patients such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Some would go to the extent of alternative treatments.
When the option is surgery, the surgeon gets rid the lining of the chest or the hemi diaphragum and pericardium. Localized cancer cells on the other hand are removed during the radiation therapy. This is expected to increase the lifespan of the person for at least five more years or over. There are fewer side effects using this method than that experience in chemo therapy.
Chemotherapy is found to be helpful in treating pleural Mesothelioma however, the person experience many side effects. There is a treatment called Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy wherein the surgeon gets rid as much tumor as possible then this is followed by the administration of chemotherapy agent with a temperature between 40 and 48 degrees Centigrade. For around one to two hours, the liquid is perfuse and then drained.
Various researches are undergoing on how to cure Mesothelioma and with today’s technology, great success is in the future.