Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos . Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma
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chest wall pain
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pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
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shortness of breath
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fatigue or anemia
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wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
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blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up
RISK FACTORS
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure exists in almost all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. In rare cases, mesothelioma has also been associated with irradiation, intrapleural thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), and inhalation of other fibrous silicates, such as erionite.
WHAT TO DO ?
PREVENTION OF THE DISEASE
Replace asbestos with an alternative .There are two major types of asbestos: chrysotile and amphibole. It is thought that exposure to the amphibole form is more likely to cause mesothelioma. However, chrysotile has been used more frequently, hence many mesotheliomas are caused by chrysotile.
LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THE DISEASE
A mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor that is generally deadly. Current treatment of malignant mesothelioma is palliative .(to make the person with cancer comfortable.)
WHAT ARE THE RISKS TO OTHERS?
Mesothelioma is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another. The exposure to the asbestos that caused the cancer occurred many years to several decades before the disease appeared. People who live with asbestos workers have a higher risk of getting this cancer.
TREATMENT
Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.
Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein.
Palliative Measures ( symptomatic relief ):
To relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen (thoracentesis). Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving symptoms.
LONG TERM MANAGEMENT
Although mesothelioma is very unpleasant it’s still important for person after treatment is over to keep up all follow-up appointments and that’s vital because further testing is always needed to check whether cancer is coming back or to examine possible side effects that could be rather unpleasant and what’s even worse permanent.
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STAY HEALTHY !!! 