What is Mesothelioma?

A diagnosis of mesothelioma can be overwhelming. It's natural to feel shocked, confused and upset.

Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the pleura which surrounds the lungs and chest wall. The cancer causes fluid accumulation in the lungs making it difficult to breath.

Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma. At risk are people who have worked with asbestos, or resided with someone who has.

What is Mesothelioma?

The mesothelioma-related cancer forms on the lining of the tissue, also known as mesothelium. This lining wraps around and protects the majority of organs in your body including your heart, chest and abdomen. It is composed of two layers that create an enveloping sac that surrounds the organs inside your body. The fluid that flows between the layers allows organs to move freely. Mesothelioma cells become malignant, or cancerous, and they grow into and destroy nearby tissues. They can also spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body.

The most at-risk group to develop mesothelioma is those who have been working with asbestos law (Learn Alot more). Asbestos workers are plumbers, electricians welders asbestos miners and auto industry workers. A higher risk is also present for those who live or work near asbestos-producing facilities such as factories and power plants. Mesothelioma can be diagnosed in those who were exposed to asbestos between 20 and 60 years before the illness manifests.

Pleural mesothelioma can be found most often in the lining of the lungs. This mesothelioma type can cause chest pain, trouble breathing and weight loss. It typically affects the lungs, but it could also affect other organs such as the stomach and heart. Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma a rare form of the disease that affects the abdominal lining cavity, can feel discomfort in the belly and abdomen, as well as difficulties eating.

Other types of mesothelioma include mesothelioma of the pericardial and tunica vaginal and tunica vaginalis mesothelioma, both of which are in the tissue that covers the lining of the chest, abdomen or testicles, respectively. These mesothelioma types often remain undiagnosed and have lower survival rates than other types of the disease.

The prognosis of mesothelioma lawsuit depends on the type, location and stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis as in the general health status. Some patients can be successfully treated using radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. Others with advanced mesothelioma may undergo experimental treatments like immunotherapy or gene therapy. In any scenario, treatment options can enhance the patient's life span.

Symptoms

Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, typically occurs in the tissues of the chest cavity or abdomen. It is caused by exposure to asbestos, a heat and fire-resistant mineral that was used in construction, insulation and shipbuilding power generation, as well as home renovations prior to being banned in the 1970s. Exposure to asbestos is most often due to working in the asbestos-related industry. However, those who have washed their clothing that contained asbestos fibers or disturbed asbestos during renovating their homes are also at risk of developing mesothelioma.

Most patients with mesothelioma experience general symptoms like fatigue as well as weight loss and coughing that fluctuates in intensity or pattern, and chest pain. These symptoms may be caused by a variety of conditions, so patients should always seek advice from their physician about their symptoms. Tell your doctor that you've been exposed to asbestos.

In pleural asbestosis, symptoms are often caused by the tumor that causes fluid to accumulate in the region around the lung. This build-up, also known as a pleural effusion places pressure on the lungs and makes breathing difficult. The amount of fluid inside the pleural cavity can help improve breathing difficulties.

Other symptoms of mesothelioma can include the night sweats, a fever and abdominal pain. The fever is caused by the body's temperature rising as it fights the disease. The night sweats are a response to the fever and a strategy by the body to get cool. These symptoms indicate that cancer is getting worse and causing stress on the body.

Less common mesothelioma symptoms include a swollen abdomen and fatigue, as well as difficulty walking. Mesothelioma can also affect the tissue around the heart which can cause chest pain and difficulty breathing. It is also possible to develop mesothelioma within the testicles' lining which can cause swelling or a lump on the testicles.

Because mesothelioma is so rare it can be difficult to detect early. The symptoms of mesothelioma can be confused with other diseases, such as pneumonia or the flu. This is why mesothelioma symptoms may take from months to years to appear before they are diagnosed.

Diagnosis

Mesothelioma is a challenging cancer to identify. Before diagnosing mesothelioma, doctors need to exclude any other diseases with similar symptoms. Once this is done, they can determine the most effective treatment options for you.

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and conduct a physical exam. Your doctor may order blood tests to see how well your organs function. A complete blood count (CBC) that determines the amount of red and white blood cells and how well your liver and kidneys are functioning, is an example of a test. These blood tests could detect mesothelioma. However, it is difficult to identify them because they look similar to normal cells.

If your doctor suspects that you may have mesothelioma, they may order an imaging to determine the extent and location of any fluids or growths in the abdomen or lungs. A chest x-ray is the most frequent test, but if this does not reveal any abnormalities, doctors can decide to order more specific tests, such as a CT scan or an MRI.

These tests produce detailed images of the body by combining radio waves with powerful magnets. They can detect thickening or fluid of the peritoneum or pleura that could be a sign of mesothelioma. A CT scan can also reveal other health issues, such as pneumonia or a lung infection.

A biopsy can help doctors get an idea of the kind of cancer you suffer from. This is the only certain method to identify mesothelioma. The samples are analyzed under a magnifying glass to determine the type of mesothelioma, as well as the extent of the cancer's spread.

Certain doctors inject dye into a vein, or perform other tests to identify the location of the cancer. This is called mesothelioma staging, and it helps doctors determine how far the tumor asbestos law has spread.

Treatment

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that develops in the lung's lining cells and organs. These cells can grow out of control, forming tumors (masses). The cancer spreads to nearby tissues due to the fact that they do not respond to signals that keep them from growing too quickly. It can also invade the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the lung. This can cause breathing difficulties and a cough.

Doctors diagnose mesothelioma on the basis of the symptoms of an individual and their history of asbestos exposure. They may also order imaging tests as well as other tests to help find and detect tumors. Chest X-rays, for instance, are a way to examine lung conditions, such as pleural thickening and the pleural effusion (fluid build-up). They may also order CT scanning or an MRI or PET scan to determine the location of the tumors and determine how far mesothelioma spreads. They may also take a sample of fluid around the lungs, known as the thoracentesis, in order to look for mesothelioma-related cells and to relieve the pressure on the lungs caused by the accumulation of fluid.

Once a mesothelioma diagnosis is established, doctors can design treatments to control the disease. It is crucial to discuss your treatment goals with a mesothelioma professional. Some patients want aggressive treatment in order to prolong their lives and improve their chances of their chances of survival, whereas others prefer a less-intensive approach to reduce nausea, pain and other side effects.

Mesothelioma treatments include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The type of treatment a person receives is determined by the stage of mesothelioma and whether it is composed of epithelioid or sarcomatoid cells. The epithelioid type is more straightforward to remove by surgery and has a better outcome than the sarcomatoid. Some patients have a mixture of both types, and these patients generally have lower outcomes than patients with epithelioid mesothelioma only.

After treatment is completed it is crucial to check in with your mesothelioma specialist regularly. This can help in preventing the cancer from returning. If it recurrs the mesothelioma team will devise an entirely new treatment plan.

Patients suffering from mesothelioma can enroll in clinical trials to test new treatments. Clinical trials provide patients access to cutting-edge treatments that are not yet approved for use in general.