Mesothelioma Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatments
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos - A group of minerals that take the form of tiny fibers. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body.
Its most common site is the pleura - the pleural cavity is the body cavity that surrounds the lungs , but it may also occur in other places.
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways.Unlike lung cancer, Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.
The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination.
The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed mesothelioma. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.
How to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma?
Thoracoscopy - (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.
Peritoneoscopy - To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity.
Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring clinical trials that are designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current treatments.
