Malignant Mesothelioma And Its Adverse Effects On Life
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, which affects the protective lining of the cavities of lungs, heart, abdomen etc, called mesothelium. There is a common tendency to get confused between mesothelioma and lung cancer. But the former infects the lining whereas the latter affects the lung itself. Mesothelioma patients are those unfortunate people who have inhaled in asbestos particles for long durations of time.
Malignant mesothelioma is of three types. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type, which affects the pleura, or the outer coverings of lungs and internal chest wall. The peritoneal type affects the protective lining of the abdominal cavity whereas the pericardial affects the protective lining of the heart. There is no doubt that the disease is a killer. But death rates vary slightly. Among the three the pericardial mesothelioma is infamous as being the most malicious.
The normal functioning of the cells is affected in the course of many years by the asbestos particles which enter the mesothelium on inhalation. It is because of this long latency period that most of the newly diagnosed victims are workers who got into close contact with asbestos in the 1940s to 1970s.
Pleural effusion is the main initial symptom of the disease. This is the condition in which the patient experiences shortness of breath due to excessive build up of fluid in the cavities. Incessant dry cough along with shortness of breath is a definite symptom of malignant mesothelioma attack. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, pain around chest, night sweats, swelling of the abdomen, weight loss etc. In the case of malignant mesothelioma, doctors sometimes misdiagnose the type of cancer resulting in wrong treatment.
Mesothelioma treatment is an individualized treatment in which the doctors take into account the stage and type of cancer apart from the physical health of the patient. The popular treatment these days is the combination of radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Certain risk factors are also involved in this approach due to the fact that most of the patients must have reached the final stage of the disease at the time of malignant mesothelioma diagnosis. When the doctors find the cure impossible, palliative treatment is administered to the patients. Still, modern researches going on in the field of finding effective treatment for the malady have given a new hope to the patients.
Malignant mesothelioma is of three types. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type, which affects the pleura, or the outer coverings of lungs and internal chest wall. The peritoneal type affects the protective lining of the abdominal cavity whereas the pericardial affects the protective lining of the heart. There is no doubt that the disease is a killer. But death rates vary slightly. Among the three the pericardial mesothelioma is infamous as being the most malicious.
The normal functioning of the cells is affected in the course of many years by the asbestos particles which enter the mesothelium on inhalation. It is because of this long latency period that most of the newly diagnosed victims are workers who got into close contact with asbestos in the 1940s to 1970s.
Pleural effusion is the main initial symptom of the disease. This is the condition in which the patient experiences shortness of breath due to excessive build up of fluid in the cavities. Incessant dry cough along with shortness of breath is a definite symptom of malignant mesothelioma attack. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, pain around chest, night sweats, swelling of the abdomen, weight loss etc. In the case of malignant mesothelioma, doctors sometimes misdiagnose the type of cancer resulting in wrong treatment.
Mesothelioma treatment is an individualized treatment in which the doctors take into account the stage and type of cancer apart from the physical health of the patient. The popular treatment these days is the combination of radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Certain risk factors are also involved in this approach due to the fact that most of the patients must have reached the final stage of the disease at the time of malignant mesothelioma diagnosis. When the doctors find the cure impossible, palliative treatment is administered to the patients. Still, modern researches going on in the field of finding effective treatment for the malady have given a new hope to the patients.
