Mesothelioma & Asbestos Cancer

Mesothelioma or asbestos cancer is a cancer that affects the pleura or the sac lining the chest, which is the pleural type of mesothelioma. It can also attack the abdomen, which is the peritoneal type of mesothelioma and can also affect the liver and spleen and bowel. The third type of mesothelioma is rare and it is benign (mesothelioma-online-advice.com). It is an aggressive cancer and over 2,000 new cases are reported in the United States (mesoinfo.com). The main cause of mesothelioma is asbestos and that is why it is sometimes referred to as asbestos cancer.

Asbestos is a fibrous material that comes from serpentine rock. When the rock is crushed the fibrous strands were collected and used in things such as insulation. Manufacturing and use of asbestos stopped in 1975, although there is a danger for those working in older building where asbestos was used in the insulation. Demolition crews and manual laborers are at risk of inhaling asbestos when working with older buildings (mesoinfo.com). Signs of asbestos damage or mesothelioma does not show up right away; individuals who worked with asbestos in the 1940’s – 1970’s may not see symptoms until now, due to the latency of the disease (mesotheliomaweb.org).

Mesothelioma is hard cancer to diagnose, as the symptoms are not a fingerprint of the disease, rather typical symptoms for a number of conditions. The disease does not present it self for 20-30 years after exposure so individuals may not relate the symptoms with the exposure. Symptoms do include chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain or swelling of the abdomen (webmd.com). A chest x-ray, MRI, or a biopsy can help determine if malignant cells are present.

Treatment of mesothelioma depends on the size of the affected area, the stage of the cancer, the age of the patient, and the response to treatment (mesoinfo.com). There is not a guaranteed method for curing for mesothelioma, only treatments to hopefully remove the cancerous cells and relieve pain.

There are four stages of mesothelioma and the stage affects what type of treatment is available as well as affects the survival rate. The first stage of mesothelioma is called stage I or localized mesothelioma. Localized mesothelioma is the beginning stage of mesothelioma and is localized to one area in the chest cavity. In most cases surgery can be preformed to remove the affected areas. Radiation and chemotherapies may be used with surgery depending on the size of the affected areas (webmd.com).

Stages II through Stage IV are advanced stages of the disease and are much harder to treat. Stage II the cancer has begun to spread through out the chest cavity until Stage IV where the cancer cells have spread to distant organs. Treatments during these stages differ. Treatment includes surgery to remove affected areas or to relieve pain, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Draining of the chest or abdominal may also be done to help with discomfort (1st-inplantbuildings.com/mesothelioma-stages.htm). Drugs may also be given to help prevent fluid collection.

In some case after the cancer has been removed or treated, the cancer returns. Treatment for recurrent mesothelioma depends on where the cancer begins its re-growth and what treatments were used in the past. Clinical trials and new treatments are being tested daily in hopes of finding a permanent treatment or cure for mesothelioma (webmd.com).

Average survival rates depend on the stage and condition of the cancer. If mesothelioma is found early and is treated aggressively there is a 50% chance of two year survival and 20% chance of five year survival. If the cancer is detected late into the disease, the average survival rate is one year (mesoinfo.com).