What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is not lung cancer. Instead, it is a specific kind of cancer that affects the lining around the lungs, heart or abdomen.Each year, between 2,500 and 3,000 men and women in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma. It is an aggressive cancer that can be difficult to treat. Often, the cancer does not appear for 15 to 40 or more years after a person has been exposed to asbestos. Exposure to even relatively small amounts of asbestos can cause mesothelioma.Fortunately, researchers and doctors continue to make new advancements and discoveries regarding mesothelioma. For more information about treatment options for mesothelioma, visit mesothelioma treatments.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance, mined from rock and made up of tiny fibers, that has been used extensively in thousands of building and insulation products.Asbestos releases microscopic fibers that people either breathe in or swallow. Asbestos fibers are so small the eye cannot see them. Asbestos has no smell or taste, and it is inhaled or swallowed without immediate or noticeable effect.

What are the types of malignant mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma can affect the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), heart (pericardial mesothelioma) and abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma).The chest cavity, abdominal cavity and the cavity around the heart are all lined by a layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the next most common form, and pericardial mesothelioma is the most rare.Click here for the information about treatment options for pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial mesothelioma.

Who gets mesothelioma and why?

The primary known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Throughout the 20th century, especially prior to the mid-1970s, asbestos was found in thousands of products, especially insulation and construction materials.
Here is a list of some products that at one time contained asbestos:
Pipe Covering/Pipe Insulation
Insulating cement
Insulating block
Refractory cement
Floor and ceiling tile
Fireproofing
Insulation
Firebrick
Gaskets
Joint compounds
Brake pads and linings
Clutches
Electraical wires
Boilers
Furnaces
Turbines
Wallboard/Millboard
Asbestos cloth, blankets, felt or paper
Asbestos packing
Asbestos rope
Shingles
Roofing materials
Plastic cement
Drilling additivesHere is a list of some trades that at one time were commonly exposed to asbestos on the job:
Insulators
Pipfitters
Plumbers
Boiler room tenders
Boilermakers
Steel workers
Shipyard workers
Electricians
Carpenters
Drywall finishers
Painters
Plasterers
Iron workers
Crane operators
Floor coverers
Masons
Brickmasons and blockmasons
Laborers
Construction workers
Pot tenders
Welders
Sheet metal workers
Railroad workers
Brake mechanics
Refinery workers
Power plant workers
Paper mill workers
Navy men
Particularly from the 1940s to the mid-1970s, many workers throughout the U.S. were exposed to asbestos at their jobs. In some cases, a member of the worker’s family may have been exposed to asbestos carried home on the worker’s clothes and developed mesothelioma many years later.

What are the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma?

The symptoms of mesothelioma may include: shortness of breath, pain in the chest or back, or pain or swelling in the abdomen. Other symptoms may include difficulty swallowing, cough, fever, sweating, fatigue and weight loss.The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may also include hoarseness, coughing up blood, swelling of the face and arms, muscle weakness, paralysis and sensory loss. Those with peritoneal mesothelioma may experience pain in the abdomen, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, hernia, fluid in the abdominal cavity or a mass in the abdomen.

How is mesothelioma diagnosed?

Diagnosis is the process of determining the kind of disease that is present. An accurate diagnosis is important because it helps to determine the type of treatment that you will undergo.Doctors may use a number of procedures to aid in the diagnosis of mesothelioma. The most common of those procedures are listed here. Whether one or a combination of these tests are conducted in a given patient’s case will depend on factors unique to the patient. Some tests might first be conducted to determine whether a biopsy should be performed. A biopsy is usually necessary to confirm a diagnosis.

• CT scan
  This type of X-ray provides a very detailed picture of the size and location of the cancer. The images taken are compiled by a computer to create a more complete image of the disease. The procedure is also called a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan.
• PET scan
  A procedure in which a small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein, and a scanner is used to make detailed, computerized pictures of areas inside the body where the glucose is used. Because cancer cells often use more glucose than normal cells, the pictures can be used to find cancer cells in the body.
• Thoracoscopy
  The diagnosis of pleural malignant mesothelioma may involve your doctor looking inside the chest cavity with an instrument called a thoracoscope. For this procedure, an incision is made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope is put into the chest between two ribs. This procedure is usually done in the hospital. Before the procedure, the patient is given a local anesthetic.
• Bronchoscopy
  A bronchoscopy involves an examination of the lungs and air passages. The doctor places a lighted tube down the patient’s throat and trachea into the lungs. This procedure is called a bronchoscopy, and the instrument used is called a bronchoscope.
• Thoracentesis
  Some patients develop fluid in their lungs. This is called a pleural effusion. A sample of this fluid can be taken out with a needle injected into the chest and tested for cancer cells. This procedure for draining fluid from the lungs may also be performed in an attempt to relieve pain.
• Mediastinoscopy
  This is a test which examines the mediastinum. This area is in the center of your chest, between your lungs, and contains the heart, blood vessels and lymph nodes. You’ll need a general anesthetic for this test and therefore will probably spend at least one night in the hospital.
• Needle Biopsy
  For this procedure, the doctor will use a thin needle to take samples of cells for examination under microscope. This test can be uncomfortable but may take only a few minutes. The doctor may use an X-ray, CT scan or fluoroscopy to guide the needle as it is inserted into the tumor.
• Fluoroscopy
  Fluoroscopy is a diagnostic procedure in which X-rays are passed through the body and then projected onto a screen, providing a continuous image of the body’s internal structures. Small pieces of the tissue are taken and then sent to a laboratory for analysis.
• Wedge Biopsy
  For this procedure, an incision is made through the skin, and a wedge of tissue or tumor is obtained and sent to a laboratory for analysis. The patient is under general anesthesia for this procedure. A wedge biopsy is often used when other biopsy methods have been unable to confirm a diagnosis.
• Cytology and Pathology
  Pathology is the study of a disease, which looks at specific cells and types of a disease process to determine the cause. Pathology tests are performed on samples of body fluid or tissue to determine the cell type (cytology) of a specific disease. The process of looking at these samples may include using microscopes, electron microscopes and special cell-staining techniques that identify specific types of cancer cells. Certain types of dyes or coloring are added to the patient’s biopsy samples. Depending on how the tissue responds to the dye, the doctor can make or confirm a diagnosis. In making the diagnosis, the more information the doctor has about the tumor, the better he or she can recommend appropriate treatment. Knowing the type of disease helps to make the treatment more specific.

What are the stages of malignant mesothelioma?

Malignant mesothelioma moves through four stages, each one more advanced than the next. Your doctor will probably determine at what stage the cancer is, a process called staging, because each stage requires a different variation of treatment.Stage I: The cancerous growth is found in the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen.Stage II: The mesothelioma has moved to this stage when it goes from the lining into the lymph nodes.Stage III: The cancer has spread into the chest wall, center of the chest, heart, diaphragm or stomach.Stage IV: The most advanced stage is when the mesothelioma has spread into organs that are not part of the lung, heart or abdominal systems, such as the liver, pancreas or colon.