Mesothelioma, Deadlier than AIDS

Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest diseases ever known to man. A known average life span of an inflected person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months! This diseases strikes approximately 3,000 United States citizens each year; hard working people who have labored for a lifetime to provide for their families.

Mesothelioma is a disease that is almost 100% preventable. The only known cause is via exposure to Asbestos. It comes from inhaling the particles of dust as the asbestos degrades; eating away at the lining of your lungs and developing into a deadly cancer.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.

What is Mesothelioma

What is Mesothelioma?Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that is becoming more and more common. It affects the outer lining that protects the body’s major organs such as the heart, stomach and lungs – this form of cancer is a direct result of regular and unprotected exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose and treatment for mesothelioma is still being investigated through clinical trials and research, but as a rule it responds poorly to the treatments that are currently used.

The people most at risk from being carriers of this cancer are those have worked with asbestos over the past 30 to 50 years. Because of this, the disease is most common in men between the ages of sixty and seventy as this is the group that commonly worked with asbestos during those years.Because of the lack of protection and regulations in those days, these workers were constantly exposed to the dust and fibres from the asbestos. However, because the disease takes decades to develop fully and manifest, many of them were oblivious to this until thirty to fifty years later.

There are also other people at risk from the disease; namely those who have had regular contact with a person who has worked with asbestos. Because these workers regularly carried dust and fibres on their clothes, skin and in their hair, the fibres and dust could be ingested by family members.

The organs most affected by mesothelioma are the lungs and the surrounding tissues. There are generally two types of mesothelioma infection - Pleural Mesothelioma and Peritoneal Mesothelioma. The third and rarest of the mesothelioma types is Pericardial Mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, making up over two-thirds of all cases. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lung and chest cavity known as the pleura.

The pleura is made up of the parietal and visceral pleura. The parietal pleura lines the chest wall and diaphragm while the visceral pleura lines the lungs. Asbestos fibers work their way into the smallest passageways of the lungs and then into the pleura. Once there, an unknown chemical reaction causes cancerous cell development. As the cells begin to divide abnormally, the pleural lining thickens and excess fluid may accumulate. Pleural thickening gradually contracts the breathing space, causing shortness of breath.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is an extremely rare condition. Only less than 30% of all mesothelioma cases are diagnosed in the US each year. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the abdominal lining, or peritoneum (see graphics), which is why is is sometimes referred to as abdominal mesothelioma. This membrane supports and covers the organs of the abdomen.

The peritoneum is made of two parts, the visceral and parietal peritoneum. The visceral peritoneum covers the internal organs and makes up most of the outer layer of the intestinal tract. Covering the abdominal cavity is the parietal peritoneum. Cells in these linings secrete a fluid which allows organs to move against one another. For instance, as the intestines move food through the body. The cells of the mesothelium are designed to create fluid, but the cancer causes them to overproduce, creating a build up of excess fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest form of this asbestos-related cancer. This form of cancer affects the lining that surrounds the heart, and is associated with long term exposure to asbestos fibres.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

The symptoms of all types of mesothelioma do not generally manifest for several decades after contraction. This can make the disease difficult to diagnose and all too often is too late to save the patient by the time a diagnosis is made.

Pleural Mesothelioma - Sufferers may experience some or all of the following symptoms: difficulty in breathing, difficulty in swallowing, shortness of breath, persistent coughing, weight loss, fever, coughing up of blood and rasping.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma - Sufferers may experience the following symptoms: abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, breathing problems, chest pain, bowel obstruction, anaemia, fever and blood clotting abnormalities.

Pericardial Mesothelioma - Sufferers may experience the following symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, persistent coughing and palpitations

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