Questions and Answers Regarding Mesothelioma

If you have friends or family who has contracted mesothelioma, you will no doubt have questions about it. Understanding this disease and what causes it can help you to avoid it.

Though it is a rare form of cancer, people who work with products containing asbestos are at risk of contracting it.

Below are some common questions related to mesothelioma, along with our answers.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a cancer which primarily affects the lungs, abdomen, and sac surrounding the heart. The cancer is caused by cells in the mesothelium which have become malignant.

The cells will begin to divide in a sporadic manner, and can spread to other organs or tissue. The cancer will generally grow in the lungs, but will soon move to other parts of the body.

Who is at risk for developing mesothelioma?

Studies have shown that anyone can develop mesothelioma. However, people who work in environments containing asbestos are at greatly increased risk for developing this disease.

Nearly 80% of those who contract mesothelioma are people who have worked with asbestos products. However, there have been cases of people getting this disease who were not around asbestos products.

Asbestos is a sturdy mineral which can be cut into threads. It has a number of useful applications in the industrial sector, and was frequently used during World War 2. People at that time did not realize that this mineral was dangerous when inhaled into the body.

In addition to mesothelioma, asbestos is known to cause other ailments such as lung cancer. Many miners work in environments where they are greatly at risk for contracting the disease.

What symptoms are related to mesothelioma?

It may take up to forty years for those exposed to asbestos to develop symptoms. Signs may include chest pain, breathing problems, and abnormal amounts of fluid in the lungs.

Patients may also lose weight or suffer from pain in their abdomen. Patients may suffer from fever or anemia as well.

In addition to mesothelioma, these conditions may also be found with other diseases as well.

How is this disease diagnosed?

Since mesothelioma shares symptoms with a number of other diseases, making a diagnosis is difficult. Doctors will generally perform an MRI and CAT scan, and a biopsy is usually performed as well. Fluids may be taken from the body so they can be analyzed. If a large number of malignant cells are found, this is a sign that the patient may have mesothelioma.

If the tissue samples taken are not sufficient enough to make a diagnosis, surgery may need to be performed.

How can mesothelioma be treated?

There are a number of different treatments available for this disease, but most are not very effective. Much like lung cancer and related ailments, mesothelioma is a condition which does not have a high survival rate. Most patients die within a year of being diagnosed with this disease.

Treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and immunotherapy. It should be noted that the National Cancer Institute is researching new ways of treating this disease, and a number of clinical trials are taking place. The problem with many conventional treatments is that they are harmful to the patient. The side effects for some methods of treatment are known to be severe.