A beginner’s guide to mesothelioma causes and treatments

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that manifests by creating linings in the chest or other bodily cavities, and is most often attributed to asbestos exposure. It introduces malignant cells into the body that can damage nearby tissues and greatly reduces the lifespan of the patient. If you or someone you know has been struck by this horrible ailment, then this guide will provide you with the information you need to understand the disease. If you’re armed with the needed information, you will be able to communicate with your medical professional better. While this is a disease with a high fatality rate, the right specialist might be able to get you a better prognosis.

Understanding How Mesothelioma Works

Mesothelioma is a disease which predominantly affects the mesothelium tissues and causes the development of tumors. These tissues are generally found surrounding your lungs, around your heart, or covering your abdomen, which is why this disease most commonly manifests in the chest. In rare cases, it can affect the tunica vaginalis around your testicles. This disease can manifest in two forms. If you’re lucky, you would have benign mesothelioma, which does not spread to the other parts of the body. This form of the illness is not life-threatening, and the harmful cells can usually be removed by surgery. Moreover, it does not have a high chance of reoccurrence. On the other hand, there is malignant mesothelioma, which is cancerous and can spread across the body. About half of malignant cases tend to be epithelioid, which have a better outlook than the other forms. Unfortunately, this disease is usually discovered in late stages, and unless treatment is provided quickly, most people would be looking at a life expectancy of 12-21 months.

Causes of Mesothelioma

Research has shown that the main vector for this ailment is asbestos; which is generally encountered in some work environments such as construction or mining. Asbestos fibres are resistant to heat and chemicals, and do not construct electricity, so they might have been used in the construction of old buildings, cars and the like. Recently, the Apple Park had to shut down and send its workers home after an asbestos scare. While it was a useful construction material, it has been discovered that these fibers, if inhaled, can lead to a number of serious health issues, including mesothelioma. Bear in mind that this disease has a long incubation period, and can take years and even decades for the cancer to develop after the initial exposure. If you or someone you know worked in a field that risked asbestos exposure, it might be a good idea to get checked out. Lines of work where you might have encountered asbestos include builders, plumbers, electricians, welders, asbestos miners, automotive industry workers and textile workers. According to the statistics on the disease, there are 3,000 cases reported each year, of which 75 percent are men.

Symptoms to Look Out For

As had been mentioned earlier, mesothelioma can occur in different parts of the body, and the symptoms you might experience depend on this as well. For example, pleural mesothelioma, which indicates the presence of cancerous cells around the lungs, generally leads to symptoms of chest pain, severe and painful coughing, explained weight loss, and lumpy tissues under the lungs. You might experience similar symptoms if dealing with pericardial mesothelioma, wherein the tumour is surrounding the heart. Meanwhile, peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the abdomen, will cause abdominal pain and swelling, along with nausea. If you feel like you are experiencing these symptoms and have risked exposure to asbestos in your life, it would well-advised to consult a medical specialist as soon as possible.

Getting Tested

In most countries, there are no means of early screening for the ailment. Unlike other forms of cancer, this one is comparatively rare, so you might not find equipment meant to detect in your general check-ups. However, there are blood and fluid tests that can help determine if you have been afflicted with this ailment. If your blood tests reveal elevated levels of fibulin-3, osteopontin, and soluble mesothelin-related peptides, there is a high chance of you having the diease. However, these tests are not definitive yet, and you would have to combine them with fluid tests. Mesothelioma can result in fluid buildup in the afflicted area, and a doctor can remove this fluid and examine it under a microscope for cancerous cells. There are also needle biopsies which can accurately determine your condition. Your doctor can best advise you on which one you need, but for this illness, you would be looking at either a thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, or mediastinoscopy. If you’re hesitant about cuts, you can opt for imaging tests, such as a CT, PET or MRI scan. This would allow the doctor to observe the inside of your body and find any tumorous growths without needing to make incisions.

What Are Your Treatment Options?

Similar to other forms of cancer, the treatment options for this include surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Moreover, there are studies being conducted into the use of targeted drug therapy and immunotherapy to treat mesothelioma