Mesothelioma: Everything That You Should Know About This Rare Cancer

The tissues that are most susceptible to mesothelioma

There’s a tissue in the body called mesothelium and you can find this lining the lungs, stomach, heart  and other vital organs. Now, according to Cancer Help UK, once these tissues are exposed to risk factors, specifically asbestos, an individual becomes susceptible to a rare type of cancer we call mesothelioma cancer.

Also known as malignant mesothelioma, this illness comes in three types: pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial mesothelioma. According to Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance,  a group dedicated to researching about asbestos cancer, pleural mesothelioma is the most common type, accounting to more than 70 percent of all cases of mesothelioma. This usually afflicts the pleura, a lining in the lungs. Meanwhile, peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the abdominal cavity, while pericardial mesothelioma originates from the cardial lining pericardium.

So who are at risk of mesothelioma? According to Macmillan.com, in the United Kingdom alone, more than 2,300 people are found positive with mesothelioma. People who are constantly exposed to asbestos, be it at home or at work. This could either be direct exposure or through inhalation, although a person does not usually develop the disease, let alone manifest mesothelioma symptoms until many years after his exposure. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, it could even take takes 30-50 years to manifest mesothelioma.

Meanwhile, an article in Eastbourne Herald writes washing clothes of someone who has direct contact with asbestos, and other indirect factors, could also put a person at risk of mesothelioma. 

But what about smoking? Does it also trigger mesothelioma? According to Muscat and Wynder (1991), tobacco and mesothelioma have no significant relationship with one another, although smoking could hasten asbestos-induced lung cancer.

According to Wikipedia  (retrieved 9/9/2012),individuals who were exposed to asbestos could be susceptible to “collected damages for asbestos-related disease,” mesothelioma being one of them. This stems to the legal issues surrounding compensation via asbestos funds or class action lawsuits regarding mesothelioma, a hot topic these days.

The most common symptoms of mesothelioma is shortness of breath caused by pleural effusion, which happens upon the formation of fluid between lungs and chest walls. Also common are chest pains and rapid weight loss. Chest x-ray and CT scan could reveal the presence of mesothelioma, although more specific confirmations via serous effusion cytology or biopsy and microscopic examination.

Although chemotherapy, radiation and cobalt therapies, as well as surgery sometimes, are proven effective in combating cancer, the same could not be said with mesothelioma given the poor mesothelioma prognosis as manifested by patients.

However, Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance writes that “Recent scientific research has produced significant breakthroughs with regard to treatment protocols for mesothelioma patients and more options are now available for managing mesothelioma and supporting improved quality of life.” This sheds light, especially the afflicted individuals, who endure the physical, emotional, and financial strain of a seemingly hopeless condition. Likewise, recently diagnosed patients often bombard their physicians about what treatment is best for this disease. Aside from the traditional cancer therapies we’ve mentioned above, lately-introduced chemotherapy drugs such as Alimta® and Cisplatin have shown promising results in some patients.