Mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer is caused by exposure to the toxic mineral called asbestos which is usually found in asbestos related worksites. This form of cancer is common amongst people working at worksites such as shipyards and can be traced to asbestos products present in these locations.
The most serious of form of all asbestos related cancers is malignant mesothelioma other asbestos related diseases include lung cancer and asbestosis. Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdominal cavity and the heart.
Pleural mesothelioma is the commonest form of the cancer. Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma, although other factors, such as smoking, could result in additional complications. Although it is an uncommon form of cancer, the symptoms typically associated with this disease makes it difficult for many doctors to diagnose as most of the early symptoms of the disease are not specific to the disease, they also occur in some other lung and chest diseases.
Most of the time by the time a definitive diagnosis is made, the disease will have advanced to a stage where treatment will be of limited help.
Another important feature of the disease is that there is usually a long period of latency between the time someone is exposed to asbestos and the time the disease manifests in the form of malignant mesothelioma.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Malignant pleural mesothelioma most often originates within the chest cavity and can involve the lung. This form of mesothelioma can metastasize to various organs in the body – even the brain - and tends to do so more often than not.
This form of mesothelioma is not easily detectable. Often, in the early stages of mesothelioma, symptoms may be somewhat mild and non specific. Patients sometimes report pain in one are of the chest that never goes away, fever and weight loss. Other symptoms can be more severe and tend to include breathing problems due to the build up of fluid in the chest.
Survival rates for patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma tend to be very low. Typically, patients do not live beyond 17 months from the onset of the symptoms. Only about 8% of those diagnosed with this disease will live 3 to 5 years from the initial onset of the symptoms.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma is the least common form of mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma involves the heart. This type of mesothelioma is rare. It invades the sac that surrounds the heart, otherwise known as the pericardium. The heart is not able to supply oxygen to the body cells efficiently as the cancer progresses. This causes further decline in health at a rapid rate. Symptoms commonly associated with this type of mesothelioma can mimic those of a heart attack which include pain in the chest, shortness of breath, and nausea.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma originates in the abdomen and will often spread to other organs in area including the bowel, spleen and liver. The most common complaint patients give their doctor is severe abdominal pain. They may also experience a discomfort level with fluid build up in the abdomen as well. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, fever, swollen feet and difficult bowel movements.
The survival rate is even lower for those diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. Patients with this type of mesothelioma typically survive only ten months from the onset of the symptoms noted above.
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