Mesothelioma - The Importance of Early Diagnosis
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer unknown to most people. Although mesothelioma cancer is quite rare, each year the number of
reported cases increases.
A comparison with lung cancer from smoking is interesting: the average incidence of malignant mesothelioma is approximately 7 to
40 cases per million people in industrialized Western nations. The incidence of lung cancer from smoking is over 1,000 per
million.
Like all forms of cancer, it is critical to detect mesothelioma at the earliest possible stage in order to increase your chances
for survival.
The following questions and answers will help you understand this disease.
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer affecting the mesothelium, the protective lining covering most of our internal organs. The most
commonly affected organs are the lungs, heart and abdomen. The cancer of the lung lining is named
pleural mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma refers to cancer of the abdominal cavity lining and pericardium mesothelioma
is the name given to the cancer affecting the lining around the heart.
What is the cause of Mesothelioma?
In almost every case, mesothelioma cancer can be traced back to contact with asbestos. With its great insulating qualities and
resistance to very high temperatures, asbestos was a common building material used throughout the construction of homes, schools
and factories before the mid 1970's.
How much asbestos exposure is considered dangerous?
Asbestos is toxic and the inhalation of the fibers can result in serious illnesses, including mesothelioma.
In general, the chances of developing mesothelioma is related to the amount of time and intensity of exposure to asbestos. At most
risk are people who worked directly with high concentrations of the material on a day to day basis in their work.
Mesothelioma is very unlikely to result from a single, high-level exposure to asbestos, or from a short period of contact at lower
levels.
One troubling fact about this disease is the extremely long time it can take for any symptoms to develop.
Just 1 or 2 months of asbestos exposure decades ago can result in mesothelioma today. In fact, the latency period of this disease
can be anywhere from 20 to 50 years!
What are the symptoms of Mesothelioma?
Unfortunately, the symptoms of Mesothelioma are rarely noticed until the disease is extremely advanced.
3/4 of all mesothelioma cases are lung related. This pleural mesothelioma can cause coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain -
all of which can easily be mistaken for the common cold or countless allergy symptoms.
Pleural mesothelioma may also include fatigue, difficulty swallowing, wheezing, and coughing blood.
Symptoms of Peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen lining cancer) can include weight loss, bowel obstruction, stomach swelling and pain,
anemia and fever.
Can Mesothelioma be treated?
Once mesothelioma has ceased being dormant it usually becomes extremely aggressive, making it almost impossible to halt.
Unfortunately, this is the stage where most people become aware of any symptoms.
Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, used singly or in combination, are the current traditional treatments to help stop
mesothelioma cancer.
There is no cure for advanced mesothelioma at this time so early detection is vital.
Many clinical trials and tests are being conducted every day in the battle against this disease. New treatments being tested
include Photodynamic Therapy, Immunotherapy, Heat Therapy and Gene Therapy. Unfortunately, at this stage, nothing has proven to be
very effective once mesothelioma reaches the aggressive stage.
Conclusion
Early detection is the best defence against this disease. If your work in the past exposed you to asbestos in any way, be very
alert for the symptoms of mesothelioma and immediately let your doctor know of your concerns.