Mesothelioma Signs and symptoms

Mesothelioma is nothing but a cancer of mesothelium. Mesothelium is the covering structure of the most of the internal organs of the body.

Cancer as we all know is excess growth of cell of the particular organ or tissue. Here the triggering factor is believed to be the asbestos. Thats why it is called ASBESTOS LUNG CANCER.

Mesothelioma is predominantly noticed in pleura [the lining that covers the chest cavity and the lung]. The pericardium [the covering of the heart] and peritoneum [the covering of the abdominal cavity] are also affected by this dangerous cancerous growth.

The mesothelioma cause is not much as we think. The people who are exposed to asbestos particle are highly prone for this dangerous disease condition. The people who are in the job of washing the dress materials of the person who is working in asbestos factory are also equally susceptible.

The reason is that these people may inhale the asbestos dust that comes out while washing the asbestos contaminated dress materials. The people who are in to house renovation using the asbestos mixed cement products are also coming under risk category. But one big relief is that there is no connection between the smoking habit and mesothelioma development.

As discussed earlier the asbestos exposure is the major risk factor. This doesn’t imply that the person who are not at all exposed to asbestos are not be bothered by this dangerous disease condition.

Yes, there are reports of mesothelioma in those who were not at all having any connection to asbestos either directly and indirectly.

Mesothelioma can also be triggered by other substances such as irradiation, erionite [fibrous silicate], and thorium dioxide but the incidences are very rare.

Once a person sees some of the mesothelioma symptoms he has to check with a doctor whether he has mesothelioma in him. Regular checkups of the thoracic region and the abdominal region would help in identifying mesothelioma at an earlier stage.

Persons who are exposed to asbestos by working in such environments should voluntarily check themselves in mesothelioma clinics. Mesothelioma symptoms differ with the type of mesothelioma the patient has. Some of the types of mesothelioma are Pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pericardial mesothelioma.

Specific Symptoms

Mesothelioma symptoms are caused by the growth of the cancer cells and the pressure applied on the nerves and organs of the body by these cancer cells. Swallowing difficulties, breathing difficulties, cough, weight loss, sweating, pain in the back or the sides of the chest are some of the mesothelioma symptoms. These symptoms are also caused by some other diseases and it should not be left unattended.

The conventional therapies are not very successful for the mesothelioma treatment. The survival time for the patients is only 6 -12 months. The malignancy of the mesothelioma is affected by many factors. One such thing is the long latency period between disease development and exposure to the asbestos.

Surgery

Surgery is one of the treatments on mesothelioma. The surgery can be performed alone or in combination with post and pre operative adjuvant therapy. But the results of the surgery attempted either alone or with post and pre operative therapy is found to be disappointing because the survival rate of the patients [five years] is less than 10%. The most common surgery is pleurectomy. Here the lining of the chest is completely removed. Extra pleural pnemorectomy is not very common.

Radiation Therapy

Mesothelioma is highly resistant to radiation therapy. But still this treatment is attempted to reduce the sufferings that arise because of mesothelioma growth. This radiation therapy is applied chest drain insertion site most commonly. This prevents the tumor growth along the wall of the chest.