What is Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?

Mesothelioma is nothing but a cancer of mesothelium. It affects the abdominal cavity, chest cavity and the region surrounding the heart. It is basically the covering structure of most of the internal organs of the body. Mesothelioma is typically difficult to diagnose and treat due to its uncommon nature.

Cancer is basically excess growth of cell of particular organ or tissue. Here the triggering factor is exposure to asbestos, a material formerly present in many work environments. That's why it is also called asbestos lung cancer. However it can also be triggered by other substances such as irradiation, erionite [fibrous silicate] and thorium dioxide. The people who are exposed to asbestos particles are highly prone to this disease. It occurs mostly to persons who work in construction industry, ship building industry, automotive industry or other manufacturing industry where exposure to asbestos is common. Therefore men are typically affected more, due to the common presence of asbestos in industrial settings however this disease condition can be noticed in women too.

The latency of Mesothelioma is up to 30 to 40 years, and many individuals previously exposed to asbestos are now displaying symptoms. This means average of Mesothelioma patients is between 50 to 70 years. The risk of Mesothelioma increases as the age increases but the disease can make its appearance at any age.

Symptoms may include but are not limited to respiratory distress, a lasting cough and pneumonia. In addition; symptoms are often mistaken for less serious ailments. Individual with pleural Mesothelioma may accumulate some fluid between the lung lining and chest cavity however this could be easily detected through a chest x-ray.

Radiotherapy is one of the best Mesothelioma treatment option. Also radiotherapy along with chemotherapy can be attempted for Mesothelioma diagnosis. All in all Mesothelioma is a life threatening disease and cannot be left untreated. The sooner it is detected the better a patient's chances are of fighting this deadly disease.

Source by Mitchell Blatt