Facts About Asbestos Lung Mesothelioma

By Heidi Wingrain

Mesothelioma cancer is basically caused by inhaling asbestos particles at work places. There are three types of mesothelioma cancer based on the area where the infection occurs. The three types are the pleural mesothelioma, affecting the mesothelium around the lung cavities; the peritoneal, attacking the lining of the abdomen; and the pericardial, infecting the heart cavities. The first one, which affects the lining of the lungs, is also known as asbestos lung mesothelioma since it affects the lung cavities and is caused by asbestos exposure.

The pleural mesothelioma is definitely fatal. The infection spreads all along the lungs even forcing the removal of a lung. The inhaled fibers of asbestos accumulated in the pleural innings starting harmful cell activity. Unnatural cell division occurs resulting in pleural effusion and thickening of the layer. This induces breathing problems and other respiratory illnesses in the victim. The time taken by the disease to reach this alarming proportion would be sometimes decades after asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma diagnosis is not an easy task, especially if the doctor handling the case is not a skilled person. Many symptoms resulting from this cancer are like the symptoms of other diseases like pneumonia. Sometimes mesothelioma cases are detected when the patient goes for some other treatments. An expert doctor would not hesitate to ask the work and health history of the patient before proceeding to other tests.

There are many symptoms of asbestos lung mesothelioma. They are shortness of breath, fatigue, chronic cough, loss of body weight, night sweat, fever etc. In some patients only a few symptoms would be visible. Yet few others would be free of symptoms. This has often led to lots of confusion in diagnosis. Failure in detection and wrong detection are equally harmful.

Conventional treatment methods like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are followed to treat the disease in the initial stages. Surgery is used to remove the infection. Additional therapies like chemotherapy prevent the spread of cancer to near by cells and tissues. Radiation therapy is used to remove the remnants of cancer through high energy or particle beams. Palliative treatment is provided to patients who are in the advanced stage of the cancer. - 30285

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here