Malignant Mesothelioma
Recently, when people hear the word “asbestos,” thoughts go beyond roofing tars, gaskets, and even firefighter’s clothing. One must not be surprised to see dread in their faces. After all, studies show that asbestos is the primary source health problems like asbestosis and the deadly malignant type of cancer called mesothelioma.What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is defined by medical science as a rare form of cancer that targets the mesothelial cells of the body. These cells are known to be the protective linings of major body organs such as the pleura, a thin membrane between the chest cavity and the lungs; the peritoneum, the lining in the abdominal cavity; and the pericardium, the sac that protects the heart.Who gets affected with malignant mesothelimia?
People who are constantly exposed to asbestos is most likely to develop malignant mesothelimia, especially if the early symptoms are disregarded by the sufferer. These individuals have likely inhaled asbestos particles while doing their specific jobs, like perhaps washing the clothes of a relative who’s working with asbestos or a carpenter who’s dealing with roofs made of asbestos. However, contrary to popular belief, there is no direct relation between smoking and mesothelioma, though both cause respiratory ailments.What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
Unfortunately, malignant mesothelioma cannot be treated after 20 or even 50 years after asbestos exposure and thus contraction. This is because symptoms associated with the cancer do not surface until that time.Symptoms vary according to the type of mesothelioma a person is suffering. For those who suffer peritoneal mesothelioma, the common signs include abdominal swelling, weight loss, bowel obstruction, anemia, fever, and abnormities in blood clotting. If the cancer has already affected other areas of the body, the person may experience swelling of the face and neck as well as difficulty and pain in swallowing.
The most common type of malignant mesothelioma is the pleural mesothelimia. Early warning signs are consist of persistent cough, hoarseness, and wheezing, building of fluid in the lungs (called pleural effusion), pain in the chest, and shortness of breath.
In the later stages of the disease, aside from spreading into other body parts, the patient may likely suffer severe bleeding in the vital organs, jaundice, pulmonary emboli (blod clots found in the lung’s arteries), and decreasing sugar level in the blood. Moreover, a patient may have a lot of tumor masses that can eventually cause respiratory failure.
If the tumor grows in the abdominal cavity, the symptoms can be dysfunction in bowel movement, abdominal pain, buildup of abdominal fluid called ascites, weight loss, and growth of abdominal mass.
What are the treatments available for malignant mesothelioma?
Though the diagnosis can be pretty difficult as malignant mesotheliomia does not manifest until many years, there are still a variety of optional treatments for patients.One of the usual modes of treatment applied to patients is surgery. It involves a combination of adjuvant therapies. The basic type of surgery is called the pleurectomy or decortication, which is charateise by removing the chest lining. Another kind is the EPP (extrapleural pneumonectomy) where the hemidiaphragm, the pericardium, and the lung are taken aside from the chest lining. However, it would deem impossible to eliminate all mesothelium since it can cause the death of the patient.
Radiotherapy doesn’t guarantee to take away the tumors since they are highly resistant to it, but the procedure can somehow lessen the symptoms caused by the growth of tumor such as major blood vessels’ obstruction. This treatment involves inserting an instrument into the chest wall to prevent tumor from growing along its track.
Pleural Mesothelioma, on the other hand, can benefit from the newly approved drug pemetrexed, which can be used in chemotherapy. This chemical is given to the patient together with another drug known as cisplatin. To decrease pemetrexed’s side effects, folic acid is utilized.
Different agencies have always stressed the need to protect oneself from asbestos. In fact, U.S. health department has already issued some regulations when it comes to asbestos. People who are exposed to asbestos can also lessen its ill effects by looking for good substitutes such as using plastic and other materials for insulation.
