Mesothelioma: The Truth about It
You have probably heard about cancer as a general term. What you might not have any idea about is the different types of cancer. Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest cancer one can be diagnosed with. It is a very aggressive cancer that popularly affects the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. The main and only known cause of this monster disease is asbestos fibers inhalation. Since its signs and symptoms appear between 10 to 50 years after exposure, mesothelioma is most diagnosed in older individuals, who have come into conduct with asbestos in an industrial setting or any other area. What makes mesothelioma very dangerous is that prognosis (how doctors expect the cancer to progress in mesothelioma patients) is very poor.
Typically, mesothelioma at mesotheliomahelp.org may develop in one of three specific areas (lungs, abdomen or heart) and therefore, there are three main types of mesothelioma. The names given to these three types have been adopted from where they originate on the body. Pleural mesothelioma (lungs), peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen), and pericardial mesothelioma (heart). The most common type is the pleural mesothelioma, caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Peritoneal is mainly caused by either inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers which are trapped in the lining of the abdomen. On the other side, pericardial mesothelioma occurs in rare cases. Here, asbestos fibers can get lodged in the pericardium, which is the lining around the heart cavity.
Lucky enough, regardless of prognosis for mesothelioma being poor, early diagnosis and emerging treatments can help patients survive longer than ever. Some of the symptoms to be observed include; chest pain, anemia (observed in women), nausea, weight loss, shortness of breath and fluid building in lungs. The average life expectancy is between 6 to 12 months and a small percentage (about 33%) of patients live longer than 12 months. There are four stages that are associated with mesothelioma. Upon diagnosis, the patient will be categorized into one of the four stages. Most of the people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma are aged between 50 and 70 years old. To learn more about Mesothelioma, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgeCnJymqVs.
Diagnosis of mesothelioma starts immediately someone reports to be experiencing its symptoms. Methods of diagnosis include; taking images (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans), blood tests and biopsies (definitive tests to determine whether you have mesothelioma). It is in very rare occasions that survival of mesothelioma patients can be long-term. Factors that determine survivorship include; cancer stage, cell type, tumor location and symptoms severity. Age, gender, overall health and asbestos exposure history form patients' factors. Treatment for mesothelioma is no different from other types of cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the most common known treatments, learn more here!