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Mesothelioma Types & Diseases
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MESOTHELIOMA TYPES
There are two types of Pleural Mesothelioma: Benign mesotheliomas, which can often be removed surgically and are generally not life-threatening. Diffuse malignant mesotheliomas are rare but very serious.
Diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells of the pleura, or lining around the outside of the lungs. Its only known cause in the US is asbestos exposure. It takes many years, even decades for the disease to incubate, so exposure is likely to have happened twenty years ago or more.
Symptoms of mesothelioma may include shortness of breath, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, chest pains, lower back pains, persistent coughing, difficulty in swallowing, alone or in combination. If medical examination shows accumulation of fluid in the pleural space a chest x-ray is usually the first step in checking for mesothelioma. This may be followed by a bronchoscopy to view the insides of the lungs.
Actual diagnosis of mesothelioma general requires a biopsy; this procedure is done at a hospital, under anesthesia. The collection tissue will be examined by a pathologist. There is presently no cure for malignant mesothelioma. Many factors influence the prognosis, such as size and stage of tumor, cell type and response to treatment. While many who are diagnosed with mesothelioma live in good health for five to ten years, some mesothelioma victims do succumb within months; the average survival time is about a year.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a tumor of the membrane that lines many of the organs in the abdomen. Its only known cause in the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos, but it can be many years after exposure before the disease appears.
Like pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma can be either benign or malignant. This discussion is about malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma typically include abdominal pains, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal swelling. Fluid often accumulates in the peritoneal space and over time the wasting symptoms can become more and more severe. As the tumor exerts pressure on abdominal organs it can cause bowel obstruction and distention, or even impair breathing.
As with pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is usual first screened via x-rays or CT scans, followed by biopsy for the actual diagnosis. This procedure is done under anesthesia at a hospital and the tissue is examined by a pathologist to determine the presence of cancer cells.
Although they are no known cures for peritoneal mesothelioma, and the prognoses varies greatly depending on factors including tumor size and stage, cell type and response to treatment, the options for relief and treatment of this disease have improved, especially in cases of early detection.
Malignant mesotheliomas do sometimes occur in other parts of the body, such as the testicles and heart. These too are caused by asbestos exposure.
Benign mesotheliomas occur less frequently than malignant mesotheliomas. They are generally thought to be unrelated to asbestos exposure.