Mesothelioma Is A Type Of Cancer

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer affecting the cells ofmesothelial lining in the chest and abdomen. Mesothelioma israre, though it appears to be on the rise. Approximately 2,000to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year inthe United States alone. Symptoms for both types of mesotheliomaare not specific only to this disease, and often go undiagnosedor misdiagnosed for a significant amount of time. Difficultybreathing, abdominal and chest pain, and fever can all beattributed to other causes, so this cancer has time to advancefairly fair before diagnosis usually occurs. Due to thedifficulty in diagnosis of mesothelioma, survival time afterdiagnosis is estimated at about a year.

There are two main types of mesothelioma. The first type,pleural mesothelioma, spreads within the chest cavity, andsometimes involves the lungs. This type or cancer canmetastasize into any of the body's organs, including the brain.Metastasis occurs more often than previously thought, andsignals the disease's progression. Symptoms of pleuralmesothelioma include persistent pain in the chest and severedifficulty breathing caused by pleural effusion, or anaccumulation of fluid in the pleural lining Cough, weight loss,and fever are also common symptoms. Survival time for this typeof mesothelioma is better than that of peritoneal mesothelioma.The median survival time is 17 months, with ten percent ofpatients living for three years after diagnosis.

The second type of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma. Thiscancer invades the abdominal cavity, the liver, spleen, andsometimes the bowel. Predominant symptoms of peritonealmesothelioma include persistent pain the region as well as aswollen abdomen, both due to the accumulation of fluid in theabdomen and affected organs. Other symptoms include nausea,vomiting, and swelling of feet, fever, and difficulty moving thebowels. The prognosis for peritoneal mesothelioma is worse thanthat of pleural mesothelioma, with a median survival time ofonly ten months past diagnosis.

Mesothelioma takes two rarer forms. Benign mesothelioma is acancer of the mesothelioma of the peritoneum. The peritoneum isthe lining of the major organs in the chest and abdomen. It isdifficult to diagnose, and appears more frequently in youngwomen. Mesothelioma of the pericardium is a very rare cardiaccancer. Mesothelioma can also occur in the ovaries and scrotum.The prognosis for these unusual kinds of mesothelioma, with theexception of benign mesothelioma, is very poor.

The progression of mesothelioma is broken down to four stages.These stages provide a baseline to predict how far along thecancer has spread. Staging is based on x-rays, CT scans, and MRIimaging. Treatment decisions and prognosis depend upon the stageof the mesothelioma, as well as the kind if mesothelioma. In thefirst stage, mesothelioma is present in the pleura, lung,pericardium, or diaphragm, and is localized to one side of thebody. Mesothelioma invades the chest wall or the esophagusduring the second stage. The second stage may also see cancer inthe heart, both sides of the pleura, or the lymph nodes in thechest. The third stage involves penetration through thediaphragm and into the peritoneum, and sees cancer spread tomore distant lymph nodes. The fourth and final stage occurs whentests provide evidence of metastases in distant organs. Withinthe fourth stage, the mesothelioma spreads through thebloodstream to these new sights.

Mesothelioma is most often caused by exposure to Asbestos.Asbestos was frequently used for insulation in homes orbusinesses. Schools, factories, and military buildings have alsobeen found to contain asbestos. Radiation from thorium dioxidemay also cause mesothelioma. This material was once used forx-rays, though was not widely used for long. Zeolite, a silicatematerial related to asbestos, may also cause mesothelioma. Casesof Zeolite-induced mesothelioma centralize in the Anatoli regionof Turkey.