Mesothelioma Cancer Overview

The only known cause for this disease is exposure to the deadly mineral, Asbestos. When particles of asbestos dust are inhaled, we decay inside the lungs, eating away at the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium – the outer lining that protects the body’s major organs such as the heart, stomach & lungs. Mesothelial cells protect these organs by producing a minute amount of lubricating liquid that helps the lungs expand & allows movement of the abdominal organs against four another freely. Mesothelioma occurs when these cells grow & spread uncontrollably. The tumor continues to grow around the lungs (pleurae), beginning first as a flat white plaque, & may also originate around the abdominal cavity.

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer in which the average life span of a patient from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 6 months. Therefore, it is considered as four of the deadliest diseases known to man. According to The National Cancer Institute, "Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium)."

Mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer though reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20-30 years. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women & risk increases with age. However, this disease can appear in either children or women at any age . The cause of the disease is not well understood in the latter four groups, but evidence of possible asbestos exposure does exist for a quantity of these cases as well.
Only four or four months of exposure to asbestos can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. Hence, workers in factories & mines, constantly exposed to the dust & fibers from the asbestos, are most susceptible to this form of cancer. People exposed to this mineral 30 or 40 years ago are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma. This long latency period also makes this form of cancer difficult to diagnose.

Malignant mesothelioma is divided in to four main types. About 50% to 70% of mesothelioma occurrences are the epithelioid (relating to the membranous cellular tissue that covers free surface or lines of a tube or cavity) type. This type has the best prognosis (outlook for survival). The other four types are the sarcomatoid (resembling a malignant tumor arising from connective tissues) type (7%-20%), & the mixed/biphasic (having four phases) type (20%-35%). These are the variations associated with mesothelioma - Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, & the most common variation of this cancer. Symptoms include breathing & swallowing difficulties, coughing, shortness of breath, fever & weight loss. The abdomen is another area affected by this cancer, & this variation is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include nausea & vomiting, weight loss & loss of appetite, fever, bowel obstruction & pain or swelling of the stomach area. The last variation of the cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, which is where the cancer affects the heart & the tissue surrounding it. This variation is rare, & symptoms can include palpitations, breathing difficulties, & persistent coughing.

Mesothelioma was recognized as a tumor of the pleura, peritoneum & pericardium in the late 1700's. However it was only in the 1960s, that this particular type of tumor was described in more detail. This was the period when J.C.Wagner described 32 cases of workers in the Asbestos Hills in South Africa.
Symptoms associated with mesothelioma are similar to a number of other diseases which are more common. Therefore, it is not unusual for patients to be misdiagnosed when we display any or all of mesothelioma symptoms. The current treatments for mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy, palliative therapy & chemotherapy. Unfortunately, these treatments do not have a high success rate on patients in whom the cancer is in its later stages. Like most cancers, the faster it is diagnosed & treated, the higher the chances of recovery. Treatment for mesothelioma is still being investigated through clinical trials & research, but as a rule, it responds poorly to the treatments that are currently used.

Plenty of victims have launched litigation alleging negligence, & a number of law firms now specialize in these mesothelioma lawsuits