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| Mesothelioma pict |
Malignant mesothelioma is a virulent form of cancer that attack the thin layer of cells, called the mesothelium, that line the body's organ cavities. From the beginning, the cause of this disease was due to exposure to asbestos from the workplace. It is proven that 70% - 80% of suffers are diagnosed due to this exposure to asbestos. Although that exposure occured 50 years before the disease arose. Apart from exposure asbestos, this disease could also occur due to the simian 40 virus, the presense of a polio vaccine component Thorotrast, as well as compound that have been in X-rays; even erionite and it does not rule out minerals with dangerous chemical structures.
Mesothelioma is a very rare cancer. This cancer has spread to all over the world, for example in the United state where 2000 - 3000 people have been diagnosed with this disease, even up to 20,000 people worldwide who have died from this cancer. Estimates of this disease will continue to increase in view of the development of the exposed person and it it even possible for the level of exposure to decrease in the next few weeks, due to very high levels of asbestos use in some parts of the country.
Mesothelima has a poor prognosis, in great part because the disease often remains undiagnosed untill it has advanced to stage III or stage IV. Unfortunetely, mesothelimaa currently has a very poor prognosis, because the disease is difficult to detect until stage 3 can only see the symptoms. Shoul anyone who has done work with asbestos should immediately see a doctor for prevention and early diagnosis such as coughing and dry throat. Anybody with a history of asbestos exposure would be well advised to see their adviced regularly, and to take symptoms like a lingering cough very seriously.
Types Of Mesothelioma
The three most common sites where mesothelioma develops are the pleura (the outer lining of the lungs and chest wall,) the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity and outer in the lining of the stomach,) and also the pericardium or (a sac that surrounds the heart and also the lining of the chest cavity on the inside.) Pleural mesothelioma has 70% of all disease cases, while pericardial mesothelioma is very rare, only counting less than 1%. And also Mesothelioma testis is still very rare, that is, less than 100 cases have been found.
Due to the difficulty of detetions, the patient is always in the end stage of the disease when first diagnosed, metastases always occur at the time of diagnosis. Metastases show a localized spread pattern, this generally affects tissues and organs near the site of the original tumor. However, Mesothelioma can also grow into a form that is not malignant. Benign mesothelioma is rare, and is not a sign of cancer. It is characterized by tumor growth without secondary metastatic spread.
Diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is very difficult due to the fact that the symptoms are often not specific to the disease itself, but can turn into a secondary effect of a number of underlying pathologies affecting the area of the body where the disease is lodged. Therefore, a patient's curriculum vitae is the first step in diagnosing the presence of the disease.
Pleural mesothelioma has many of the same symptoms and accompanies pleural effusions, including shortness of breath, dry cough, to sharp pain when inhaling, both in the ribs and in the small back. Other symptoms may include fatigue when there is little activity, difficulty swallowing food, night sweats or fever, or swelling in the extremities.