Mesothelioma - an Asbestos Related Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer located in the lining of either the lungs, abdomen or the heart. These linings are thin layers of tissue covering the organ.

The pleura is the tissue covering the lungs and the wall of the chest cavity which cushions and protects the lungs. The peritoneum lines the abdominal wall and surrounds most of the organs in the abdomen. The pericardium is the tissue surrounding the heart.

Mesothelioma is a rare but very serious cancer. There are three types of mesothelioma based on the types of cancerous cells. The most common type is epithelioid and consists of 50-70% of total cases and has the best prognosis. The second type is called sarcomatoid, consists of 10-20 % of mesothelioma cases and is more unpredictable in nature. The third type of mesothelioma is called biphasic, it is a combination of the other two types and consists of 20-35% of all cases.

There are an estimated 2000-3000 new cases of mesothelioma in the United States every year. The majority of these cases begin in the chest wall (pleural mesothelioma), a few start in the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma) and very rare are the cases starting in the lining surrounding the heart (pericardial mesothelioma).

The pleura is a thin lining of mesothelial cells. There are two pleuras in the chest, the parietal pleura and the visceral pleura. The parietal pleura lines the chest wall including the inside of the ribs, diaphragm and pericardium. The visceral pleura covers the lungs and filters fluid to and from the chest. If the pleura becomes diseases it is not effective at eliminating fluid from the chest resulting in pleural effusion or too much fluid in the chest.

Mesothelioma is usually the result of exposure to asbestos. Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have had jobs where they breathed asbestos fibers. It may take up to 60 years from the time of asbestos exposure until mesothelioma develops.

Although rare, mesothelioma is a serious form of cancer which is often in its advanced stage when a diagnosis is made. In general, prognosis for mesothelioma patient is poor, however, some patients live with the disease for a long time. As mentioned earlier, the type of mesothelioma has an impact on the prognosis, as well as, the age of the patient, how much tumor has developed and if treatment is rendered. There are many variables in evaluating a mesothelioma case, so only the patients doctor can determine the best treatment and possible prognosis on an individual basis.

Jill Kane provides useful information and resources regarding mesothelioma and asbestos at http://www.mesothelioma-101.org

Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center Commend Massachusetts ...
TransWorldNews (press release), GA - Jul 3, 2008
Asbestos has been definitively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a deadly lung cancer that affects the pleural lining of the lungs and has a ...

Man died from asbestos exposure
Gloucestershire Gazette, UK - Jul 3, 2008
By By Court Reporter A MAN died from a lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure when he worked for a power company, an inquest has been told. ...

Why are our schools full of deadly asbestos and why isn't anything ...
Daily Mail, UK - Jun 30, 2008
This is a highly aggressive cancer of the lung lining caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is not the same as cancer of the lung; this can also be ...

Archive for the ‘Mesothelioma’ Category
Asbestos.com, Florida - Jul 1, 2008
Caregiving arrangements often involve the adult children of those affected, as asbestos-related illnesses, including mesothelioma, can have a latency period ...

Asbestos.com offers free Assistance to Military Veterans
Asbestos.com, Florida - Jul 2, 2008
This exposure has lead to pleural mesothelioma with many veterans, which occurs in the lining of the lungs (a form of lung cancer) and is one of the ...

New clinical trial for patients with asbestos-associated lung cancer
EurekAlert (press release), DC - Jun 26, 2008
From 1940 through 1979, approximately 28 million US workers were exposed to asbestos at work. An estimated 3000 people died of mesothelioma in the late ...
Treatment for asbestos-caused mesothelioma United Press International
Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center Acknowledges New TransWorldNews (press release)
all 11 news articles

NW Evening Mail
Asbestos: A killer in the midst
NW Evening Mail, UK - Jun 26, 2008
One in four victims of the fatal asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma is now somebody from the construction trade. “In Barrow we see usually around 15 cases ...
‘What I want to know is, when are they going to get a cure?’ NW Evening Mail
all 4 news articles

Family get £140000 after ex-council man's death
Tottenham, Wood Green and Edmonton Journal, UK - Jul 2, 2008
Jim Crowe, of Wood Green, died in June last year aged 79 from the deadly lung cancer Mesothelioma after years of exposure to asbestos while working for the ...

The Mesothelioma And Asbestos Awareness Center Hails Supreme
TransWorldNews (press release), GA - Jun 24, 2008
Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the onset of mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer that has a survival rate of less than 1%. ...

Do 1980s ceilings contain asbestos?
Mortage 101 - Jul 2, 2008
Inhaled in large amounts, asbestos can cause serious health problems, including lung cancer, mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the chest and the ...

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Peritoneal Mesothelioma