Mesothelium is a membranous layer that surrounds the internal organs of the body. The layer that surrounds the main organs such as heart , lungs and abdomen are made of this tissue They are called pericardium, pleura and abdominal cavity respetively. Mesothelioma cancer is the cancer of the mesothelium that is malignant in nature which spreads from the original site to the internal organs.
Exposure to asbestos, a group of minerals used in cement manufacture, textilesand flooring products is considered to be the major risk factor for this disease. That is why ,it is also called Asbestos cancer. The other factors like smoking and family members living along with the asbestos workers contribute only to some extent. Asbestos is a dangerous material whose fine particles enter the body while inhaling or swallowing. They can neither be absorbed nor be eliminated. In due course, they get accumulated in the area and endangers the mesothelium.
Asbestos cancer is a slowly progressing disease. So the symptoms are not evident till 20 to 50 years of asbestos exposure. Pleural mesthelioma‘s initial signs are dyspnea or difficulty in breathing ,cough and chest pain .In the advance stage, pleural effusion occurs. The signs and symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are quite different. They include weight loss, extreme fatigue, abdominal swelling and pain in the early period and bowel obstruction, anemia and fever in the later period.
Although the signs and symptoms of mesothelioma cancer mimic many other types of cancer, exposure to asbestos gives you the first alarm. That‘s why, history collection is very important .Other diagnostic tests to support the suspicion are chest x-ray, lung function tests and CT scan. Cytopathological examination or biopsy is the confirmative diagnostic test.
Regarding the prognosis of mesothelioma treatment, it is good if diagnosed and treated early. Many types of treatment are available and ongoing research on this disease and treatment still help the clients keep their hope high. Good prognosis is seen in clients when surgery is combined with radiation and chemotherapy rather than performing it alone. .Otherwise, surgery is done in the advanced stages as a conservative treatment. Chemotherapy is proved to be more advantageous over surgery and radiation. Treatment combined with cisplatin and pemetrexed yields better results and higher life-expectancy. Vitamins are supplemented to help the clients fight against the side effects of pemetrexed. Vitamin B12 is administered intramuscularly and folic acid orally. Another medicine combined with cisplatin to give similar results is raltitrexed. Immunotherapy is also used but the result is not so beneficial as expected.
Many resources are now established to help clients with Mesothelioma Resources. These include the information about the disease, treatment and the specialists who handle the disease effectively. Clients can contact them, get appointments and even ask questions to clarify their doubts through online. They can use the eMedicine resources to know about the medicine, side-effects and other facts.
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