Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. This name is given as the disease occurs in the mesothelioma protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs.
Its common are:
- Pleura- Outer lining of the lungs.
- Peritoneum- The lining of abdominal cavity.
- Pericardium- The sac which surrounds the heart.
How do we get mesothelioma?
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma.
Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma
Most insulation material contain asbestos like-
- Insulation on pipes.
- Boiler insulation
- Roof, floor and ceiling sites.
- Brakes and clutches
Sites-Industrial sites like power plan, paper mills, refineries etc.
Signs and Symptoms
Lungs
- Chest pain
- Pleural effusion or fluid surrounding the lung.
- Shortness of breath.
- Fatigue or anemia.
- Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough.
- Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up.
Abdomen
- Abdominal pain.
- Fluid in the abdomen.
- Mass in the abdomen.
- Weight loss.
Severe cases of mesothelioma
- Jaundice
- Low sugar level.
- Blood clots in the veins.
- Severe ascites.
Diagnosis of mesothelioma
Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma.
- A physical examination- X-ray chest, Lung function test, CT-scan.
- Cytology test- small tissue is taken from the effected area and sends it to the lab to check any malignant cell.
- MRI scans.
- Thoracoscopy- If lung is affected.
- Peritoneoscopy- If abdomen is affected.
- Biopsy.
Mesothelioma treatment options
Treatment of malignant mesothelioma using conventional therapies has not proved successful. Treatment part is depending on many factors like stages of mesothelioma, location of mesothelioma, how far it is spread. People diagnosed with this disease are told the expected survival rate is 10-12 months.
Treatments
-Surgery
-Radiation therapy
-Chemotherapy
Surgery- either by itself or used in combination with pre- and post-operative adjuvant therapies, has proved disappointing. A pleurectomy is the most common surgery, in which the lining of the chest is removed in mesothelioma. Less common is an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), in which the lung, lining of the inside of the chest, the hemi-diaphragm and the pericardium are removed.
Radiation therapy- radiation is often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment. The entire hemi-thorax is treated with radiation therapy, often given simultaneously with chemotherapy. The necessary radiation dose to treat mesothelioma that has not been surgically removed would be very toxic.
Chemotherapy- Chemotherapy is defined as treatment of cancer using chemical substances .In mesothelioma cancers cells grows in the affected region. Using chemotherapy destroy the cancer cells by further multiplication. It destroys the cancer cells, to shrink the growth, and relief symptoms like pain which is very common in mesothelioma