What Is Mesothelioma Cancer?
Mesothelioma is an aggressive malignant cancer that affects the lining of the membranes of the lungs and stomach.
Malignant mesothelioma or malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all diseases associated with asbestos. Although rare, mesothelioma cancer is no longer considered rare. The main cause and risk factor for mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.
Making a mesothelioma diagnosis correctly is very difficult for doctors because the disease often presents with symptoms that resemble other common diseases. No cures for mesothelioma have yet been found, but treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy have helped to improve the typical prognosis of mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma (affecting the protective lining of the lungs in the chest cavity) represents about three-quarters of all mesothelioma events. While peritoneal mesothelioma that affects the abdominal cavity and pericardial mesothelioma that affect the heart cavity, represents the residual occurrence of mesothelioma. Testicular Mesothelioma is very rare and usually looks typical with metastases of various peritoneal.
There are three types of mesothelioma cells that have been recognized. Between 50 and 70% of all mesotheliomas are of the epithelial type. While this prognosis is still considered less aggressive than sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma, which includes residual cell type diagnosis.
The cavity inside the body that covers the chest, abdomen, and heart is surrounded by a cell membrane known as mesothelium. These mesothelial cells assist in the function of common organs. Mesothelium functions very important for organs that are generally moving, such as expansion or contraction of the lungs, stomach, or heart. Lubrication of the mesothelial cells allows free space of movement in the body. Mesothelium of the chest, abdomen, and heart cavity is called pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium. Each mesothelial cell grouping is essential for the function of the body structure they cover.
Malignancy (cancerous tumor) occurring within the mesothelial membrane is known as malignant mesothelioma, or simply called mesothelioma. Benign tumors of mesothelium are also known to occur, but less frequently than common malignant cancers generally.
While mesothelium tumors were first known to occur in the late 18th century, up to the mid-20th century, these cancers were studied and examined in more detail. At that time the suspicion of the cancer-causing relationship with asbestos exposure became more provable. A joint research company through the Department of Surgical Toraks at Witswater University and Johannesburg General Hospital in South Africa provides the most compelling evidence of the relationship between asbestos exposure and the development of chest mesothelioma.
Although this cancer is more common in men over the age of 60 (largely due to industrial exposure in male-dominated industries), mesothelioma in women and children has been described as well. The cause of Mesothelioma for diagnosis in women and children is primarily associated with secondary asbestos exposure. Since it is often the case that male workers bring asbestos up into the house through their bodies or clothing if proper cleaning facilities are not available at work.