Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that afflicts the outer coverings of the lungs, stomach and even heart. Mesothelioma cancer primarily affects the pleural membrane; the outer covering of the lungs. This membrane serves the very important function of limiting friction between the lungs and external parts of the chest such as the ribs during breathing. If we didn’t have this membrane, breathing would be a painful, laborious process. This means that getting mesothelioma cancer can be very painful and can lower the quality of life of a person considerably.
One variant form of mesothelioma is the malignant mesothelioma. As the name suggests, malignant mesothelioma is a variant which has a very high potential for spreading to other parts of the body. For instance, cells from a malignant mesothelioma may affect the heart and other surrounding structures such as the esophagus and the trachea. Apart from that, some cells from a malignant mesothelioma may even disseminate through blood and lymphatics to reach other areas such as the brain and bones, causing pathology in these areas as well.
A strong association has been established between mesothelioma cancer and asbestos, and this has made asbestos widely considered as the main cause of mesothelioma cancer. In order to get the condition, one has to be exposed to the substance for a very long time, even if it’s in relatively large doses. This is why mesothelioma cancer is commonly diagnosed in patients who are past middle age, since they have had enough exposure to asbestos by the time they get to that age. The correlation between asbestos and mesothelioma has caused many jurisdictions to stop using asbestos for roofing houses, one of the most common applications of the substance in the home. However, even today, asbestos is still used in some industries, such as automobile brake manufacturing. This also means that people who work in such environments should ensure that they are cautious when working with these materials.
Most of the time, mesothelioma is diagnosed by a doctor after a thorough exam. The doctor may perform the usual physical examinations such as auscultation of your chest and other exercises. After this, the doctor may also perform what is known as a biopsy, which is one of the most important diagnostic tools for mesothelioma. In a biopsy, a section of the tissue in question (the pleural, pericardial or external stomach lining) or fluid from the interpleural space is taken for testing. The testing is normally done microscopically, showing cells that are typical of mesothelioma.
After all this is done, the doctor would then recommend a course of treatment for the disease. This normally depends on the characteristics of the mesothelioma, such as the degree of metastasis (spreading to other sites) and size of the tumor. At the end of the day, the only way to prevent one from getting mesothelioma is by avoiding exposure to asbestos. You can do this by making sure that any house you build doesn’t make use of asbestos-based components. You should also ensure that any house you move to be checked for asbestos traces before you move in.