What is Mesothelioma

Tumors of the mesothelium can be benign or they can be cancerous. A cancerous tumor of the mesothelium is called malignant mesothelioma, but this is often reduced to just mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer that begins in cells that line certain parts of the body, especially the chest, abdomen, and heart. The coating formed by these cells is called mesothelium. These cells protect the organs by making a special fluid that allows organs to move. For example, this fluid, it is easier for the lungs to move during breathing.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that most often arises from cells lining the alveoli of the chest (the pleura) or abdomen (the peritoneum). Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form, often with symptoms in the chest area. Peritoneal mesothelioma is much less common. This may make the abdominal organs, and its symptoms are related to this area of ​​the body, that is, abdominal swelling, nausea, vomiting and intestinal obstruction. The rarest form of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma, which implies the sac surrounding the heart.

There are two main types of mesothelioma cells, epithelial and sarcomatoid. Sometimes these two cell types may be present. The sarcomatoid type is rarer and occurs in about 15% of cases, it portends a worse prognosis. In very rare cases, mesothelioma can be from mild, non-malignant cells. There are three main types of mesothelioma based on how the cells look under a microscope.

• epithelioid: This is the most common type. It tends to have better prospects than other types.
• sarcomatoid: about 1 or 2 of 10 mesotheliomas are of this type.
• Mixed: This type has the characteristics of these two types above. about 3 or 4 of 10 mesotheliomas are of mixed type.

What causes mesothelioma?

Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Usually it is men over 40 years. Others have been exposed to asbestos in a home environment, often without knowing it. About 3 in 4 mesothelioma begin in the chest cavity. These are the pleural mesothelioma. Another 10% -20% starting in the abdomen. It is the peritoneal mesothelioma. Those starting around the heart are very rare. This cancer can also begin in the tissues around the testicles, but it is also very rare.

Written by admin on February 19th, 2012 with no comments.
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Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Unfortunately, there is virtually no early symptoms of mesothelioma, which is why the disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage of development. Cancer can take decades to develop in the body and the symptoms do not arise until after the cancer is present. Many patients are unaware of the seriousness of their condition, because the symptoms resemble symptoms of mesothelioma typically less serious illnesses.

Most people present with complaints of shortness of breath. They may also have complaints of chest pain. Surprisingly, this pain is often not pleuritic, is that it does not degrade with deep breathing. What is surprising in that the pleura (outer surface of the lung) is often implicated in this disease, and most other diseases involving the pleura are often associated with pleuritic pain (pain that worsens with deep breathing). Patients may be asymptomatic, the disease discovered by physical examination or an abnormal chest X-ray. Here are the symptoms of mesothelioma list are:

• dry or raspy cough
• Fatigue
• Coughing up blood
• Difficulty swallowing
• night sweats or fever
• unexplained weight loss of 10 percent or more
• Shortness of breath occurs even at rest
• The persistence of chest pain or chest, breathing or painful
• The appearance of lumps under the skin on the chest

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should inform your doctor and have it checked as soon as possible. If you have a history of asbestos exposure, it is best to consult a doctor immediately. Inform your doctor of previous asbestos exposure can alert them to the possibility of asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma. One patient with mesothelioma often shows symptoms 15 to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. The sooner the disease is detected, the more chances are that the patient will survive.

Written by admin on February 16th, 2012 with no comments.
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Mesothelioma and lung cancer

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer located in the lining of either the lungs, abdomen or heart. These linings are thin layers of tissue covering the organ. The pleura is the tissue covering the lungs and chest wall that protects and cushions the lungs. The peritoneum lines the abdominal wall and surrounds most organs of the abdomen. The pericardium is the tissue that surrounds the heart.

Mesothelioma is a rare but very serious cancer. There are three types of mesothelioma based on types of cancer cells. The most common type is epithelioid and consists of 50-70% of total cases and has the best prognosis. The second type is called sarcomatoid, consists of 10-20% of mesothelioma cases and is more unpredictable in nature. The third type is called biphasic mesothelioma is a combination of two other types and consists of 20-35% of all cases.

The majority of these cases begin in the chest wall (pleural mesothelioma), a little early in the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma) and very few cases from the wall surrounding the heart (pericardial mesothelioma).

The pleura is a thin membrane of mesothelial cells. There are two pleuras in the chest, the parietal pleura and visceral pleura. The parietal pleura lines the chest wall, including the inside of the ribs, diaphragm and pericardium. The visceral pleura covers the lungs and filters fluid from the chest. If the pleura becomes diseases it is not effective in removing fluid from the chest resulting in pleural effusion or too much fluid in the chest.

Mesothelioma is usually the result of exposure to asbestos. Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have had jobs where they breathed asbestos fibers. It may take up to 60 years from the date of asbestos until mesothelioma develops.

Although rare, mesothelioma is a serious form of cancer that is often in its advanced stage when the diagnosis is made. In general, the prognosis for mesothelioma patient is poor, however, some patients live with the disease for a long time. As mentioned earlier, the type of mesothelioma has an impact on the prognosis and the patient’s age, how much tumor has developed and if treatment is rendered. There are many variables in evaluating a mesothelioma case, so the doctor can patients determine the best treatment and prognosis possible on an individual basis.

Pleural mesothelioma and lung cancer are the two serious diseases, but they are not the same. Pleural mesothelioma – sometimes called “asbestos lung cancer” – is not really a form of lung cancer, because it does not develop in the lung tissues. Instead, he is a cancer of the lining that surrounds the lung.

Mesothelioma and lung cancer

Mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. It is considered a disease for asbestos exposure, which means that if you have mesothelioma, it is assumed that you had exposure to asbestos at some point in your life. Smoking does not cause mesothelioma.

Lung cancer can be caused by asbestos exposure, it can also be caused by smoking. In fact, someone who smokes and was exposed to asbestos presents a much higher risk of lung cancer.

Written by admin on February 14th, 2012 with no comments.
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