Mesothelioma
Understanding
Mesothelioma Cancer
Mesothelioma
cancer is perhaps one of the unknown forms of cancer in public; however it is
truly alarming because once a person is diagnosed with Mesothelioma or “Meso”
cancer, living for 3 years is perhaps the longest time he’d be given. Some say
that a person with meso cancer usually have 4-14 months while others claim that
they still have 12-18 months of time. Either way, having meso will surely and
shortly cut a person’s life. Because of this alarming issue, it is therefore
necessary to know and be informed about this cancer in order to avoid having
such cruel disease.
The Mesothelium and the
Intrusion of Asbestos
The
tissues that line our lungs, heart and stomach is referred to as mesothelium.
This serves to secrete lubrications that protect the vital organs in our body.
The function of the mesothelium in our body is greatly impaired by the
intrusion of asbestos inside our body.
Asbestos has become popular due to its
superior performance in engineering and commercial products. However, together
with the superior ability of asbestos it is equally dreadful because prolonged
exposure to this can cause the improper functioning of the mesothelium. Exposure
to asbestos for a prolonged period of time such as 30 or 40 years (perhaps even
50) causes meso cancer. If a person has a Mesothelioma cancer, the cells in
his/her mesothelium divide without control. The serous membranes surrounding
the organs (heart, lungs and stomach) of the body is inflated with the
accumulation of excessive fluid. With this, the person feels difficulty in
breathing, to the extent of suffocation because as the cancer cells grow, they
can crush the lungs. Hence, the pain that the person has to go through is truly
unbearable.
Types of Mesothelioma Cancer
There
are different types of meso cancer. Some are malignant (cancerous) while others
are still considered to be benign (non-cancerous). The most common types of
Mesothelioma are; Pleural Mesothelioma, Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Pericardial
Mesothelioma.
Pleural
Mesothelioma is the most common type amongst the three. “Pleura” is referred to
as the thin membrane found between the lungs and the chest cavity. When a
person is inflicted with a Pleural Mesothelioma, it is often referred to as
lung cancer. This type could either be
malignant or benign depending on the severity of the presence of asbestos
inside the lungs of the person. For the non-cancerous type, the only affected
part of the body is the lungs of the person. Shortness of breath and/or (in
severe cases) pneumothorax (lung failure) are manifested.
Peritoneum
is the lining in the abdomen while pericardial is that of the heart, hence
these are the point of attack of the peritoneal and pericardial type of
Mesothelioma. Though they are less occurring compared to Pleural Mesothelioma,
they are more aggressive causing shorter life expectancy.
What to Do
Since
meso cancer is an environmental cancer, the risk of exposing you and your
family to this cruel type of cancer is to avoid exposure to asbestos. Though
the exact mechanism of Meso cancer is still unknown up to the present however,
according to statistics, 70-80% of the 2,000 to 3,000 people identified with
cancer annually in the US were exposed to asbestos many years in the past.
Hence, to refrain from acquiring this dreadful type of cancer, it is strongly
advised to avoid exposure to products with asbestos.
For
other related advises, it is still best to consider visiting an oncologist, the
doctor specializing in this field of medicine.
