Risk Factors Of Mesothelioma Article

About Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium. Mesothelium is a membrane that lines and protects internal organs of the body. The mesothelium covering the lungs is the pleura, the heart pericardium and the abdomen is the peritoneum. Mesothelioma cancer develops when some cells of the mesothelium becomes abnormal and multiplies uncontrollably. It is a very aggressive tumour and spreads to nearby tissues and organs. The cancer cells can also spread through the blood stream to other parts of the body. This type of spread is called metastasis. Mesothelioma cancers most frequently develop in the pleura of the chest and peritoneum of the Abdomen. Mesothelioma cancer is rare and in the USA roughly 2000 new cases are diagnosed annually. Statistics show that there are more men than women affected and the risk increases with age but this cancer can occur in both sexes at any age. The increase in incidence in the last 20 years is likely due to the fact that mesothelioma can take between 20 to 50 years to develop following asbestos exposure and many individuals worked with asbestos before the link with mesothelioma cancer was established and regulation on asbestos use was put in place. The major cause of mesothelioma cancer is asbestos exposure and between 70 to 80% of cases have a past history of contact with asbestos. Bear in mind, however, that there are cases of mesothelioma cancer without a past history of asbestos exposure. The risk of developing mesothelioma increases with increased level of exposure and duration. The symptoms of mesothelioma cancer is similar to other lung conditions so diagnosis in not straightforward. Past history of exposure to asbestos, examination, chest X-rays, CT scan and MRI will raise the likelihood of a diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer but diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy. A series of sections of the biopsy are examined under a microscope and mesothelioma cancer cells will be identified. Once diagnosis is established, your specialist will determine the staging of the mesothelioma. Staging is simply an assessment of the extent of the cancer. Is it localised? Has it spread? If it has spread, how extensive is the spread? This information will assist the doctor when formulating a specific treatment plan. Treatment of mesothelioma cancer depends on where the cancer is, the stage of the cancer, the age of the individual and the general health of the patient. The treatment options are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This cancer is an aggressive malignant tumour with poor long term survival rate. Mesothelioma research and trials will hopefully produce a range of new drugs to improve the survival rate of mesothelioma cancer.