Sunday, 10 July 2016
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare and serious cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It takes 20 to 50 years to develop and occurs in the lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen and heart.
Mesothelioma develops
from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as
the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and
chest wall. Less commonly the lining of the abdomen and rarely the sac
surrounding the heart, or the sac surrounding the testis may be affected. Signs
and symptoms of mesothelioma may include shortness of breath due to fluid
around the lung, a swollen abdomen, chest wall pain, cough, feeling tired, and
weight loss. These symptoms typically come on slowly.
Greater than 80%
of mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. The greater the exposure the
greater the risk. As of 2013 about 125 million people have been exposed to
asbestos at work. High rates of disease occur in people who mine asbestos,
produce products from asbestos, work with asbestos products, live with asbestos
workers, or work in buildings containing asbestos. Often it takes around 40 years
for the disease to begin. Washing the clothing of someone who worked with
asbestos also increases the risk. Other risk factors include genetics and
infection with the simian virus 40.The diagnosis may be suspected based on
chest X-ray and CT scan findings, and is confirmed by either examining fluid
produced by the cancer or by a tissue biopsy of the cancer.
Prevention
centers around reducing exposure to asbestos. Treatment often includes surgery,
radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. A procedure known as pleurodesis, which
involves using substances such as talc to scar together the pleura, may be used
to prevent more fluid from building up around the lungs. Chemotherapy often
includes the medications cisplatin and pemetrexed. The percentage of people
that survive five years following diagnosis is on average 8% in the United
States.
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