Mesothelioma, general information.
Article by Thomas Goldman
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare type of cancer, which affects approximately one in a million people. The usual direct cause is exposure to asbestos (around 75% of cases), but there is also a genetic factor in the likelihood of anyone contracting the disease. Mesothelioma causes malignant cells to grow in the protective sac which covers most of the body’s internal organs, which is called the mesothelium.
There are various areas of the body in which Mesothelioma can occur… most commonly in the lining around the lungs (pleura), sometimes in the linings of the abdominal cavity (8% as likely as in the lungs) or heart areas. Mesothelioma acts by causing the cells of the mesothelium to divide and grow without control.
Although smoking does not directly cause Mesothelioma, a combination of smoking and asbestos exposure has been proven to increase the risk of Mesothelioma occurring in the lungs. Mesothelioma is usually caused by breathing in asbestos dust, such as at work, or even when washing the clothes of someone who has worked with asbestos. Due to its proven link with asbestos, there are legal proceedings involving compensation for Mesothelioma, and those working with asbestos are advised to shower and change clothes before leaving work, to reduce the chance of carrying asbestos dust outside the work place.
The symptoms of Mesothelioma can include breathing difficulties and coughing (due to fluid in the lungs), chest pain and less specific symptoms such as weight loss, fever and abdominal pain, can occur several decades after the asbestos exposure. Diagnosis of Mesothelioma might be supported by chest X-ray and/or CT scan or MRI, and the verified by detailed examination a sample of affected tissue (biopsy). If the cancerous Mesothelioma has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized), symptoms might include pain and problems in the neck or face.
Symptoms which seem to indicate Mesothelioma might also be caused by other less severe problems, and accurate diagnosis is often difficult. The presence of malignant cells in fluids increases the likelihood of a diagnosis of Mesothelioma.
Treatment for Mesothelioma can include radiation and chemo treatment and less commonly surgery. Recovery from Mesothelioma is not common, and median survival times is about 9 months from presentation (with the 5-year survival rate being about 10%), although a few people do survive for more than 20 years after having the disease. Methods of screening, used to detect Mesothelioma early, can improve chances of survival, but there is no generally agreed screening procedure currently. Some Mesothelioma patients have survived more than 5 years after having radical surgery plus chemo and radiation therapy, but radiation therapy alone has proved ineffective. There are ongoing clinical trials of new treatments for Mesothelioma (see http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials), and taking part in such trials can be a valuable treatment option for some patients. Most patients die within 18 months of knowing they have Mesothelioma, not because the disease is rapidly progressing, but because diagnosis is often only clear at a late stage of the disease. Treatment can be expensive, sometimes totaling up to 800,000 US dollars.
Classifications of the stage (extent) of the Mesothelioma can be divided into “localized” when the cancer is only in the membrane surface, or “advanced” if it has spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs, chest wall, lymph nodes or organs in the abdomen.
Blue asbestos is more likely to cause Mesothelioma than white asbestos, due to the long thin fibers in blue asbestos; however, smaller particles of asbestos might be more dangerous than larger ones due to the fact that smaller particles can remain suspended in the air for longer periods. Asbestos can also cause other diseases as well as Mesothelioma, including cancers of the lungs and kidneys, as well as other lung diseases. Asbestos has been recognized as a health risk since about 1900, but asbestos and Mesothelioma has only been officially linked since 1960. Those living near natural occurrences of asbestos and other similar naturally occurring minerals, have an increased risk of Mesothelioma. Some people only briefly exposed to small amounts of asbestos develop Mesothelioma, while others exposed to large amounts of asbestos over long periods, do not. One study found incidence of Mesothelioma to be over 300 times as great in workers with asbestos insulation, compared to the general population.
Asbestos can cause the DNA of cells to change, or even increase the likelihood that foreign DNA will get inside a cell. Asbestos might also decrease the effectiveness of the immune system.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer. The highest incidences of Mesothelioma are in Britain, Australia and Belgium, but even in these countries (which have around twice the incidence compared to the USA, where about 2,000 new cases are diagnosed each year), incidents is still a thirtieth of that of lung cancer. The incidents of Mesothelioma increased until 1990 and may now be decreasing (although other sources say that experts predict an increase). These figures might not be accurate, because diseases such as Mesothelioma are sometimes misdiagnosed.
The first legal proceedings involving Mesothelioma and asbestos were in 1929. Over half a million legal claims for compensation for Mesothelioma and asbestos have been filed. Workers in the ship building and repairing industries have the highest mortality rate from Mesothelioma.
See Mesothelioma Reports for lots of useful information on Mesothelioma
Sources:- wikipedia, National Cancer Institute, Mesothelioma-data.com
About the Author
Thomas Goldman is an experienced author, musician and artist.