Mesothelioma

September 29, 2007

Mesothelioma

What is Mesothelioma? It’s a rare cancer that’s caused from
exposure to asbestos. Each year about 3,000 people are
diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Many people mistakenly believe
that Mesothelioma is a lung cancer, but in fact it is really a cancer
that affects the lining around the lungs, heart, or abdomen.

Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer and can often be difficult to
treat. One of the characteristics that makes Mesothelioma so
difficult to deal with is the fact that often the cancer will not
appear until between 15 to 40 or more years after a person has been
exposed to asbestos!

So what is asbestos? Did you know that asbestos is a
naturally occuring substance? It’s mined from rocks, and is
made of of lots of tiny fibrous materials. It’s particularly
dangerous because the fibers are released into the air where people
breathe them in or swallow them without even knowing it.
Asbestos fibres are not able to be seen without
magnification, and they have no taste or smell, so most of the time,
people don’t even know they have been exposed.

There are basically three different kinds of Mesothelioma; Pleural
Mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, Pericardial
Mesothelioma which affects the lining of the heart, and peritoneal
mesothelioma which affects the lining of the abdomen.

This lining of the heart, chest, and abdomen is made up of cells called
mesothelial cells. The most common form for Mesothelioma is
Pleural Mesothelioma, then Peritoneal Mesothelioma, and the least
common is Pericardial Mesothelioma.

So what are the symptoms of malignant Mesothelioma? Symptoms
of Malignant Mesothelioma may include:

• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the chest or back
• Difficulty swallowing
• Caugh, Fever, sweating
• Caughing up blood
• sensory loss
• swelling of the chest, neck or face

Where can I get more information about Mesothelioma?

American Cancer Society
University
of Penn OncoLink
The
Mayo Clinic
American
Institute for Cancer Research

Posted in Actual Strategy, Mesothelioma, Uncategorized