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Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer classically caused by exposure
to asbestos. As explained in this eMedTV article, most cases
of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum. In this disease,
malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a defensive lining
that covers most of the body's interior organs. 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 renewal using asbestos
cement goods. Unlike lung cancer, there is no organization between
mesothelioma and smoking.
If you are looking for a mesothelioma article, you will find
them in lots of different places. Although this is a professional
disease which only affects a small minority of people worldwide
today, it is nevertheless a major branch of medicine. When advances
in the treatment of this disease are made, these are often published
in such journals, so that others in the medical business can
find out from the advances which are being made.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis
In addition to reviewing a patient's medical history, a doctor
making a mesothelioma diagnosis will ask about exposure to asbestos.
This eMedTV article explains how doctors reach a mesothelioma
diagnosis by testing for other, more common, conditions. If
cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious,
a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A
biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the
irregular area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the
doctor may perform a thoracoscopy.A doctor removes a sample
of tissue for assessment under a microscope by a pathologist.
Mesothelioma Symptoms
When the cancer begins in the covering around the lungs, mesothelioma
symptoms may include chest pain and shortness of breath. This
eMedTV article also looks at peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms,
such as abdominal pain and weight loss. Tumor growth usually
begins at the lower part of the chest. The tumor may invade
the diaphragm and encase the exterior of the lung and interlobar
fissures.
Occupational
Several epidemiological studies have related exposure to asbestos
with the development of lesions such as asbestos bodies in the
sputum, pleural plaques, diffuse pleural thickening, asbestosis,
carcinoma of the lung and larynx, gastrointestinal tumours,
and diffuse mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum.The documented
attendance of asbestos fibres in water supplies and food products
has fostered concerns about the possible impact of long-term
and, as yet, unknown exposure of the general population to these
fibres.
Mesothelioma Surgery
When used to treat mesothelioma, surgery may entail procedures
such as wide local expurgation. This eMedTV Web page describes
a number of types of mesothelioma surgery, including extrapleural
pneumonectomy as well as pleurectomy and decortication. It is
not possible to remove the whole mesothelium without killing
the patient. Surgery, either by itself or used in mixture with
pre- and post-operative adjuvant therapies, has proved unacceptable.
A pleurectomy/decortication is the most common surgery, in which
the lining of the chest is removed.
Mesothelioma Treatment
Mesothelioma treatment may involve operation, chemotherapy,
radiation therapy, or a mixture of these methods. This eMedTV
resource discusses mesothelioma treatment and includes information
about second opinions, nutrition, and follow-up care. The clinical
behaviour of the malignancy is affected by several factors including
the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity which
favours local metastasis via exfoliated cells, invasion to underlying
tissue and other organs within the pleural cavity, and the particularly
long latency period between asbestos experience and development
of the disease.
Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
When treating mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be used to stop
the increase of cancer cells and decrease pain. This eMedTV
article discusses mesothelioma and chemotherapy, including information
about potential side effects of treatment. The United States
Food and Drug Administration permitted pemetrexed for treatment
of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pemetrexed is given in mixture
with cisplatin. Folic acid is also used to decrease the side-effects
of pemetrexed.
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