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mesothelioma cancer
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Mesothelioma Basic Information
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer (malignancy) that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:chest wall painpleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lungshortness of breathfatigue or anemiawheezing, hoarseness, or coughblood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up. Mesothelioma is described as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. Mesothelioma development in rats has been demonstrated following intra-pleural inoculation of phosphorylated chrysotile fibres. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. Mesothelioma is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditionsFor description porpuses the Pleura its the thin covering that protects and cushions the lungs. The pleuron is made up of two layers of tissue that are separated by a small amount of fluid. The lungs are surrounded by two membranes, the pleurae. The outer pleura covers and is attached to the chest wall and is known as the
none">parietal pleura. The inner one covers and is attached to the lung and other visceral tissues i.e. vessels, bronchi and nerves and is known as the visceral pleura. In between the two is an actual thin space known as the pleural cavity or pleural space normally containing a small amount of pleural fluid. />
Although approximately 50% of mesotheliomas metastasize, the tumor generally is locally invasive, and death ususally result from local extension. Most patients present with effusions that may obscure the underlying pleural tumor. In contrast to the findings in effusion due to other causes, because of the restriction placed on the chest wall, no shift of mediastinal structures toward the opposite side of the chest will be seen. The major diagnostic problem is differentiation from peripherally spreading pulminary adenocarcinoma or from adenocarcinoma metastasized to pleura from an extrathoracic primary site. Although a needle biopsy may be diagnostic, an open biopsy is often necessary, and even the latter procedure may not provide a definitive diagnosis of the origin of the tumor.
Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Others have been exposed to asbestos in a household environment, often without knowing it. An exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later. People exposed in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma because of the long latency period of asbestos disease. Since epidemiologic studies have shown that more that 80% of mesotheliomas may be associated with asbestos exposure, documented mesothelioma in a worker with occupational exposure to asbestos may be compensable in many parts of America.
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What is the mesothelium?
The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.
How common is mesothelioma?
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.
What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the lung.
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Diverse Mesothelioma Causes
Some of the earlist and most convincing evidence of chemical carciogenesis in human (like Read more...
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| Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:chest wall painpleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lungshortness of breathfatigue or anemiawheezing, hoarseness, or coughblood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up.
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Mesothelioma Cancer
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Asbestosis (Asbestos Exposure)
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