You may have heard about it, but you may not be fully aware of its dangers and effects. One of the basic but a very important question asked is what is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer that affects the lining round the lungs, heart and abdominal cavities. The tissues or cells which surround the lining of the abdomen, lungs and heart are called mesothelium, hence the name mesothelioma.
Mesothelium helps to protect these organs by producing a special lubricating fluid which allows these organs to function without friction. When this mesothelium is affected, it may cause pain and other problems leading to mesothelioma, cancer of the mesothelium. It is a rare but serious disease which proves fatal in most of the cases as there is no cure for it.
It can begin as a tumor in the mesothelium and can be non-cancerous which can be easily treated. However, if it is cancerous or malignant, it is an indication of mesothelioma, a serious disease that requires extensive treatment.
How is Mesothelioma Caused?
Mesothelioma can only be caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral which can cause mesothelioma if its fibers or dust particles are inhaled. In most of the cases of mesothelioma, it was reported that the patient had either inhaled asbestos particles where s/he lived previously or when the patient worked at an asbestos industry. In many of the cases, mesothelioma also occurred in people who had no previous exposure to asbestos.
People who were detected with mesothelioma without living or working in asbestos affected areas were the family members of workers who worked in asbestos industry. These people inhaled the fibers or dust particles from the clothing, shoes or hair of the workmen while washing or dusting them. Also, people living in the neighborhood where asbestos was processed developed mesothelioma. The particles of asbestos dust settle into the lining of the lungs, chest or abdomen and cause cancerous growth of cells. Researches have shown that only one year of asbestos exposure can also cause mesothelioma or other asbestos diseases in a healthy person.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Some of the symptoms of mesothelioma, common to all its types are:
- Weight loss
- Cachexia
- Abdominal swelling
- Pain due to buildup of fluid in abdominal cavity, lungs or heart
- Bowel obstruction
- Blood clotting abnormalities
- Anemia
- Fever
- Trouble swallowing
- Swelling of the neck or face
When it comes to symptoms and appearance of the disease, mesothelioma takes the lead among all cancers. Mesothelioma has one of the lengthiest latency periods of all diseases as it takes more than 20-50 years for its symptoms to appear. In some of the cases, it was discovered that the patient had worked in the asbestos industry 40 years ago and it was after all this time that he was diagnosed with this deadly cancer.
According to an estimate, more than 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are discovered in US each year. The primary reason is high usage of asbestos in shipbuilding and other related industries. Since a large number of people have been detected with this disease, mesothelioma has been declared a legitimate cause of death in US and its commercial use has also been banned.
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