What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease caused by asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is rare cancer that can manifest in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart or other major organs in the body. Asbestos fibers lodge into your lungs or organs tissue causing lasting damage. It can develop years after the initial exposure, and there is currently no cure for the disease. Often, mesothelioma is not diagnosed until 10-40 years after. Mesothelioma typically begins in the pleura, or lining of the lungs, or the belly and spreads quickly throughout the body. The earlier a mesothelioma diagnosis is reached; the more likely treatment will help extend life expectancy. According to the American Cancer Society, 10% of people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma will make a 5-year life expectancy rate

Types of Mesotheliomas

Common symptoms of mesothelioma can include coughing, fatigue, breathing issues, blood clotting, and weight loss.

  • Abdominal Mesothelioma
  • Chrysotile Peritoneal Mesothelioma
  • Malignant Mesothelioma
  • Pericardial Mesothelioma
  • Peritoneal Mesothelioma
  • Pleural Mesothelioma
  • Epithelial Mesothelioma
  • Cystic Mesothelioma

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Mesothelioma Causes

The leading cause of mesothelioma cancer is asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers account for 80 percent of all mesothelioma cases, including those with secondhand exposure.

Secondhand mesothelioma is usually caused by close exposure to asbestos without being direct. A wife could receive mesothelioma exposure through their husband or father’s work clothes or their proximity to asbestos. For example, if a patient lives in a building built before the 1970s, there is a high chance they have received some asbestos exposure. Other places a person may have received exposure could be asbestos mines, asbestos manufacturing facilities, shipyards, power plants, and construction sites. Washing exposed clothes or hugging someone wearing clothes with asbestos fibers is a prominent cause of secondhand exposure. 

Asbestos fibers can travel through the body and stick to the linings of the lungs, stomach, heart, or testes. Once ingested, asbestos fibers are nearly impossible to expel from the body. These asbestos fibers can cause irritation and scarring, allowing cancerous tumors to form. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they make their way into the lung’s tiniest airways, and they cannot be lived or coughed out.

Depending on where the asbestos lands, the tumor forms, which determines the type of mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma forms in the abdomen, while pericardial mesothelioma is found in the pericardium. The pericardium is the lining around the heart. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the lung. Pericardium mesothelioma is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma. Testicular mesothelioma is rare and located in the lining of the testicles.

Mesothelioma Risk Factors

  • History of asbestos exposure
  • Living near asbestos manufacturers
  • Living near asbestos mines
  • Secondhand exposure from family 
  • Family history
  • Exposure to SV40 polio vaccinations between 1955 and 1963

Mesothelioma Symptoms 

Mesothelioma is often complex cancer to diagnose since its symptoms are widespread until later. The symptoms are very mild, and under different circumstances, nothing to worry about. However, since mesothelioma is such a severe disease, symptoms vary based on the type of mesothelioma and stages.

General Mesothelioma Symptoms 

  • Fever
  • Sweating 
  • Weight loss 
  • Fatigue
  • Blood clotting 

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms 

  • Chest or lower back pain
  • Cough 
  • Trouble swallowing 
  • Trouble breathing 
  • Hoarseness
  • Swelling 

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms 

  • Pain in the abdomen 
  • Nausea 
  • Constipation 
  • Swelling in the abdomen 

Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms 

  • Pain in the chest
  • Heart murmurs 
  • Shortness of breath 
man holding his face
 
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