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What Is Mesothelioma?

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma the medical name for cancer of the pleura (the lining of the lung and chest cavity) or cancer of the peritoneum (the lining of the abdomen). It is usually caused by prolonged or persistent exposure to asbestos.

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until between twenty and fifty years after exposure, which explains why so many new cases of this form of cancer are coming to light now, even though the dangers of asbestos were realized long ago and measures taken to reduce the risk of the disease.

As with many forms of cancer, the mesothelioma tumor can spread rapidly, often infecting the opposite pleura, and continuing on to other internal organs. Symptoms include a shortness of breath, chest pains, coughing, and loss of weight.

Testing can be carried out initially by X-Ray, with a Thoric CT and open lung biopsy being used to confirm the findings of the early tests. If it is diagnosed early enough, the tumor can be surgically removed, and with follow-up chemotherapy and radiation treatment, full recovery is often possible.

However, in more advanced cases, cure is usually not possible. In such cases, chemotherapy and radiation treatment can be used alongside other pain relief treatments, to ease the symptoms. Where cure is not possible, the average survival time is between four and eighteen months, depending on the stage of the tumor and the general health of the patient.

About The Author

Angela Cambourne owns and maintains the Mesothelioma Hub, an extensive resource site. http://www.mesothelioma-hub.com.

In The News:

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FOXBusiness - 17 hours ago
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Currently, the most common treatment for patients of the asbestos-induced cancer is removal of the victim's lung. Individuals who suffer from pleural ...

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... Court to decide the extent of insurers’ liability to pay compensation to families of workers who died from mesothelioma, the asbestos-related lung disease.

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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 ...
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Mesothelioma News, TX - Jul 7, 2008
... the taconite-processing plant from inhaling asbestos fibers, which have been linked to respiratory illnesses including lung cancer and mesothelioma. ...

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 ...

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What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma & Asbestos Cancer