What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that is becoming increasingly common. Affecting the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium - the outer covering that protects the body's major organs such as heart, stomach and lungs - this type of cancer is the direct result of regular exposure to unprotected and asbestos. The symptoms and the latency of this disease is that it is difficult to diagnose. Treatment for mesothelioma is still being studied in clinical trials and research, but as a rule, responds poorly to currently used treatments.

Those most vulnerable cons being carriers of this cancer are those who worked with asbestos in the past thirty to fifty years. Thus, the disease is more common in men aged between sixty and seventy as this is the group that has often worked with asbestos in these years. Due to the lack of protection and regulations these days, these workers were constantly exposed to dust and asbestos fibers, causing the cells of the mesothelium become abnormal. But because the disease takes decades to develop fully and manifest, many of them did not know until thirty to fifty years later. These are men who are now multi-million dollar lawsuits against unscrupulous companies that expose them to the dangers of asbestos, even if they were aware that this could cause injury to employees.

There are other people at risk of disease, namely those who had regular contact with a person who worked with asbestos. Because these workers regularly carried dust and fibers from clothing, skin and hair, fibers and dust can be ingested by family members who were at risk of developing mesothelioma, respiratory problems or another asbestos related diseases.

Bodies, most of mesothelioma are the lungs and surrounding tissue. Pleural mesothelioma, which is a type affects the lining of the lungs, is the most common variation of this cancer symptoms that include breathing and swallowing, coughing, shortness of breath, fever and weight loss. Stomach cancer is the second most affected area, and this variation is known as the peritoneal cancer. This type of mesothelioma is not as common as pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include nausea and vomiting, weight loss and loss of appetite, fever, bowel obstruction and pain or swelling of the abdomen. The last variation of the cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, which is where the cancer affects the heart and surrounding tissue. This change is rare, and symptoms may include palpitations, breathing difficulties and persistent coughing.

Symptoms of mesothelioma are very common in a number of other diseases, which are well known in society. Therefore, it is not uncommon that a patient is diagnosed when it goes to show one or all of these symptoms. The people who worked with asbestos should always inform your doctor knows, so that the doctor is aware and more aware of the potential, if the symptoms are not obvious. Rapid diagnosis is important for effective treatment of mesothelioma, and without the knowledge of the facts the doctor can not make the diagnosis as quickly as he would if he or she is aware of the situation

Although there are treatments for mesothelioma, they do not have a high success rate, especially in patients in whom the cancer is advanced. More mesothelioma is diagnosed and treated, the better chance of success, so it is important to obtain an earlier diagnosis possible.

Current treatments for mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy, palliative care and chemotherapy. The National Cancer Institute and a variety of other organizations and sponsors are conducting research on mesothelioma and implementation of clinical trials to try to find a treatment that not only more effective but will enable the successful treatment of the disease even in its final stages.