Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, especially malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, in the protective lining that covers many internal organs of the body, mesothelium developed. It is usually due to exposure to asbestos.

The most common site of the pleura (outer shell of the lungs and internal chest wall), but can also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), heart, pericardium (bag that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.

Most people who develop mesothelioma on jobs where they inhaled particles had been asbestos, asbestos fibers or dust and exposed in other ways. It was also suggested that washing clothes of a family member who can work with asbestos, people at risk of developing mesothelioma set. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking increases the risk for other asbestos-induced cancer. Asbestos compensation fund or processes is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).

Mesothelioma symptoms include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis can be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and confirmed by a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. Thoracoscopi (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used on a biopsy. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents the accumulation of more liquid to destroy the lungs. Despite chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease leads a poor prognosis. Research on screening tests for early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

Signs or symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20-50 years (or several) after asbestos exposures. Shortness of breath, cough and chest pain due to accumulation of fluid in the pleural space (pleural effusion) are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, difficulty swallowing, or swelling in face or neck.

These symptoms can be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less severe.