Mesothelioma - What is Mesothelioma and what can you do about it?
Have you recently received a diagnosis of mesothelioma? Has a loved one recently received a diagnosis of mesthelioma? You may still be learning about this diagnosis. As you gain more information, you are likely asking what the diagnosis means for you and your family.
What is mesothelioma?
- A rare form of cancer (approximately 1% of all cancer diagnoses) that grows in the mesothelium (i.e., the thin membrane that lines the chest and abdominal cavity, covering the organs within each of these cavities.
What causes mesothelioma?
- The majority of mesothelioma cases are etiologically linked to (viz., caused by) asbestos exposure.
- Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked in asbestos-related industries (e.g., pipe-fitting, manufacture of brakes, and shipbuilding).
How does asbestos cause mesothelioma?
- When asbestos is handled, tiny asbestos fibers, thinner than a human hair, break off and become airborne.
- If the workplace is not appropriately ventilated, workers inhale the fibers.
- Inhaled asbestos fibers work their way into the chest cavity or the abdominal cavity, and lodge in the mesothelium.
How long does it take to develop mesothelioma?
- The disease progresses slowly.
- Symptoms may not appear for 15 years, sometimes for as long as 40 years after the exposure.
- The membrane thickens into a hard, inflexible rind, forming bumps and nodules.
- The enlarging cancerous tissue produces large amounts of fluid that crowds the chest or abdominal cavity, and the cancer itself compresses nearby organs.
Why does mesothelioma take so long to be diagnosed?
- The mesothelium thickens very slowly.
- It is not until the mesothelium becomes so thick that it presses against the chest or abdominal wall, or its fluids begin to leak, that the victim becomes symptomatic.
- Once it has grown large enough to press on vital organs and to leak fluid into the chest or abdominal cavity, the victim begins to experience symptoms (e.g., severe chest pain, shortness of breath, and constant fatigue).
- Once the victim becomes symptomatic and seeks medical attention, the disease is likely to have progressed to the point that the victim's life-expectancy is months, not years.
Does mesothelioma always show up in the lungs?
- Approximately 80% of mesothelioma cases occur in the lungs (a/k/a: "pleural mesothelioma").
- Approximately 20% of mesothelioma cases are peritoneal, occurring in the abdominal cavity.
Is there treatment for mesothelioma?
- Current treatments involve chemotherapy and radiation, and surgical removal of some of the tumor mass to reduce discomfort.
- Researchers are investigating new therapies which may have greater potential to slow the development of tumors, and biological markers which may lead to earlier diagnosis.
Is surgery an effective option?
- The most common treatment is surgery, but its effectiveness depends upon the stage of the disease, age of the patient, and general health of the patient.
- The surgical procedure often involves removal of part of the chest or abdomen lining, and some of the tissue surrounding the lining.
- If a patient has been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, a lung may have to be removed, along with part of the diaphragm which is the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing. Radiation therapy is also a common treatment .
Is radiation an effective option:
- Radiation therapy involves the use of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors that may have grown.
- Radiation therapy only treats the area where the radiation has been applied.
Is chemotherapy an effective option?
- Chemotherapy is another form of treatment in which anti cancer drugs are used to kill cancerous cells in the body.
- Most chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously. Removal of fluid from the chest and abdomen have also been used to treat mesothelioma.
