Mesothelioma Cancer
- By:Michelle magne
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the Mesothelium, which is the protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs. For example the sac lining of the chest (i.e. the pleura), the lining of abdominal cavity (i.e. the peritoneum) or the lining of the heart (i.e. the pericardium)
What causes Mesothelioma?
It is more common in the people who work in jobs, where they inhale Asbestos like people who work in construction job sites, in shipyards, industries and Construction or Renovation of Commercial buildings.
Mesothelioma know more about it at Official Mesothelioma Info
Symptoms of Mesothelioma:
Early Symptoms of mesothelioma are not specific to the Disease. People often ignore them or mistake them for common, minor ailments. Mesothelioma may not appear until 40 -60 years after exposure of Asbestos. About half of the patient with pleural mesothelioma, complain of Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to accumulation of fluid in the pleura. A smaller percentage has trouble swallowing, fever, fatigue and weight loss. Other symptoms include hoarseness coughing up blood, swelling up of arms and feet, muscle weakness and sensory loss.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling due to build up of fluid in the abdomen.
Diagnosing Mesothelioma:
Diagnosing Mesothelioma is often difficult because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of conditions. Diagnosing begins with a review of the patient’s medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure.
A complete Physical exam should be performed which provides information about signs of mesothelioma and other health problems. A complete examination must be performed, including x-rays of the chest, or abdomen and Lung Function tests. A CT Scan or MRI makes detailed pictures of body which helps in diagnosing the disease. A biopsy confirms the diagnosis. In biopsy a medical Oncologist removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by pathologist. If the cancer is on the chest The Doctor performs Thoracoscopy, which helps the Doctor to obtain a sample tissue from two ribs or peritonescopy is performed if abdominal cavity is involved.
Types of Mesothelioma:
A. Pleural Mesothelioma (Lung)
B. Peritoneal Mesothelioma (Body Cavity)
C. Pericardial Mesothelioma (Heart)
Treatment of Mesothelioma:
The treatment of mesothelioma depends on the following:
1. Health of the patient.
2. Stage of Mesothelioma.
3. Metastasis of the Tumor (determining if the cancer has spread to other regions of the body.)
4. Statistics and Prognosis
Depending on these factors the treatment of Mesothelioma will be either:
1. Surgery
2. Radiotherapy
3. Chemotherapy
Surgery:
Surgery is done under two methods:
a. Aggressive type
b. Palliative Procedure
Aggressive Surgery: Aggressive surgery involves removal of pleura of the lung, the diaphragm and the pericardium through a procedure called as Extra-pleural Pneumonectomy. The fatality rate in this type of surgery is quite high. A lot of tissue is removed while eliminating the tumor tissue, hence this type of treatment is performed only in young patients who are good in health and can tolerate the surgery.
Palliative Treatment: Palliative Treatment is performed when the cancer is in advanced form .These procedure are performed to allay /or to control the symptoms of Mesothelioma rather than cure them .In this procedure complete removal of the tumor is not possible.
Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat mesothelioma. The results of the drugs have been mixed and some patients show only partial success to their use. To improve their efficacy, a combination of these drugs may be used at the same time. Some of these combinations have proved successful and new drugs are being developed for the treatment of this cancer.
Radiation Therapy:
Radiation therapy uses radiation doses to kill the tumor. This procedure however, is extremely difficult owing to the location of the malignant cancer. If the heart surrounds it, lungs and other organs, and they are at the risk of being damaged by the radiation dosage. Lower doses of radiation can be used, though its efficacy is questionable despite its ability to reduce the disease to some extent.
Dual therapy:
Both chemotherapy and radiation are used in conjunction with the surgery after it is performed. They both help in killing any remaining tumor cells that were not removed by surgery and may also help in relieving symptoms of the disease like chest pain.
More on treatment for Mesothelioma