The Mesothelioma Mess

Have you ever realized that with asbestos being used all around us, we might be inhaling a potential source of cancer 24/7? Occupational exposure to asbestos has been found to be associated with a life threatening disease called mesothelioma.


About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year.Themedguru explores the different aspects associated with malignant mesothelioma and its possible cure.

Explaining the Term Mesothelium

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects your internal organs. It also secretes a lubricating fluid that allows your organs to glide through adjacent structures. It is due to this membrane that your heart can breathe and lungs expand and contract, all at the same time.

The mesothelium is known by different names depending upon its location in the body. The mesothelial membrane covering most organs in the abdominal cavity is called peritoneum, while that covering the lungs and the walls of the chest cavity is called the pleura.

What Is Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma or simply mesothelioma is a type of cancerdefine that affects the mesothelium. When a person’s mesothelium gets malignant, it begins to grow uncontrollably, thus causing damage to the nearby organs. Cancer cells can also spread to the other parts of the body from its site of origin. Usually, mesothelioma originates in either the peritoneum or the pleura.

Role Played by Asbestos in Causing Mesothelioma

Asbestos is the culprit behind causing malignant mesothelioma. The first commercial use of asbestos began in the early 19th century. It was during World War II, when its commercial use increased by many folds. It was during this time that millions of commercial workers all over the world started being exposed to asbestos dust, grossly unaware of its ill effects and its potential of causing cancer.

The passage of time revealed the risks associated with asbestos when workers from asbestos mines, mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries and other trades people started developing certain common symptoms, which subsequently resulted into mesothelioma.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The problem with mesothelioma is that, after being exposed to asbestos dust it takes around 30 to 50 years for its symptoms to surface. The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include:
• weight loss
• abdominal paindefine
• swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomendefine
• bowel obstruction
• blood clotting abnormalities
• fever

The symptoms of pleura mesothelioma include shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura. If the mesothelioma spreads to the other parts of the body, its symptoms might include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

Detection of the Disease

The very fact that the symptoms of mesothelioma are quite similar to that of scores of other diseases, diagnosis of the disease becomes all the more difficult. Your doctor might be interested in knowing the history of the ailment and if an association with asbestos comes to the forefront, he might be required to carry out a thorough check up. The conformation of a malignant mesothelium can be made only through a biopsy.

If at all a biopsy confirms malignancy, the doctor would like to know how far it has spread which will also reveal the stage of cancer. Depending upon the stage, the doctor would like to advice a suitable treatment.

Mesothelioma Treatment

The treatment prescribed by a doctor would depend upon many factors such as the location of the cancer, stage of cancer, the patient’s age and his general health. The doctor might then select one or a combination of the following treatment options:
• Radiationdefine therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Surgery

In addition, your doc might also be required to drain out the fluid that has built up within your chest or abdominal cavity. For this, he could make use of a needle or a thin tube.

Prevention of Mesothelioma

In certain cases, the family members of asbestos workers have also developed the ailment, primarily due to the asbestos dust brought home through the clothes and hair of the workers. Today, it has been made mandatory for all workers to shower and change clothes before leaving for home. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also established strict limits for determining the maximum level of asbestos in a workplace. Those exposed to asbestos are also required to wear certain protective equipments to lower the risk of cancer.

Considering the fact that several asbestos manufacturing companies kept toying with their hazardous produce and floating it irresponsibly in the open market in spite of being fully aware of their potential risks, makes them criminals in the eyes of law. If you are also a victim of this selfish act, you have a right to approach the court of law and demand for compensation. Although the compensation will never be able to get back your lost health, it could be of help to you in more than one way….for sure.