Is Mesothelioma Only Caused by Asbestos?
Mesothelioma, a deadly cancer can affect the thin layer lining many organs. It is most commonly found in the lungs (pleural sarcoidosis) along with the intestines, stomach, and heart. People exposed to asbestos are more at risk.
Asbestos is made up of a group of minerals that create thin and long fibers. It was utilized in military, commercial and residential products throughout the 20th century, when companies were aware of the risks, but concealed it to make the most profit.
Causes
Asbestos is an naturally occurring mineral that is resistant to wear and heat. It was used to make various household and commercial products in the past, including flooring tiles, insulation, and brake linings. However, asbestos is dangerous because it breaks into tiny needle-like fibers that can irritate organ tissues, which could result in cancerous cells.
Mesothelioma is more frequent in people who work with asbestos, or are exposed on the job or at home. Between 70 and 80% of people diagnosed with mesothelioma are victims of exposure to asbestos. Symptoms usually appear between 20 and 50 years after the initial asbestos exposure. People who have mesothelioma-related relatives also have a higher chance of developing it.
If exposed to asbestos, the fibers can be inhaled into the lung. These fibers then travel into the pleura, or lining that surrounds the lungs and can cause irritation. As time passes, this can cause pleural disease, which may lead to the lungs to build up fluid which is a condition known as pleural effusion. This can make breathing difficult.
Mesothelioma can also occur in the tissues that line the abdomen, intestines and the heart. Most often, a mesothelioma patient has had exposure to asbestos at work. This kind of asbestos exposure is different from that of a person who is exposed at home to asbestos, such as when family members remove asbestos-containing insulation from their walls and ceilings.
Scientists are investigating if certain genes can increase your chances of developing mesothelioma. Even with these asbestos-related genes, exposure is still necessary for the development of mesothelioma. Rare mesothelioma cases can be traced to minerals such as silica and Erionite that are associated with asbestos. Some people may be more prone to mesothelioma due to the way asbestos is broken down. This is not a known factor and does not explain the differences between a person who is diagnosed with mesothelioma from another.
Signs and symptoms
Asbestos exposure can cause the mesothelioma cancer to develop in any of the body's linings. It can also develop in the lungs, abdomen or heart (pleural mesothelioma). It can also develop in the testicles.
The signs of mesothelioma typically develop slowly over a lengthy period of. Its symptoms may be similar to those of other diseases, so people are often misdiagnosed in the early stages of mesothelioma. It can take between 20 and 50 years for symptoms to manifest, meaning someone could have been exposed to asbestos exposure for a long time before the development of mesothelioma. The cancer can spread to various areas of the human body in roughly the same time.
The symptoms of pleural melanoma include difficulty breathing, coughing, and chest pain. Patients can experience other symptoms as well, such as fatigue, weight loss and abdominal pain. The lungs are a source of fluid and is the most frequently reported symptom (pleural effusion). Pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the lining of the chest cavity and lungs, known as the pleura. The cancer causes the lining of the lungs to become thicker, making it difficult for the lungs to expand during breathing.
Doctors can diagnose pleural mesothelioma by taking a tissue sample from the affected area and performing some tests. A biopsy can help determine the type of mesothelioma that a patient is suffering from, the extent to which it has spread, and whether it is benign or malignant.
If doctors suspect that the patient is suffering from mesothelioma, they can refer them to an expert who will carry out more tests. The specialist will be able to perform an examination in an outpatient setting. The patient is able to leave the hospital the next day.
Mesothelioma is still uncommon however it is crucial to be diagnosed as early as is possible. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but treatment can help control symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease.
Treatment
Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, which is a collection of minerals that have thin and flexible fibers. Asbestos is durable, fire-resistant and doesn't conduct electricity which is why it was utilized in various industrial applications including insulation, building materials ships, brakes, and some kinds of flooring. Exposure may occur when these products break down and turn into dusty. Asbestos fibers can cause irritation when consumed or inhaled which could lead to mesothelioma. Mesothelioma symptoms usually don't show until a long time after the initial exposure. It can affect the lung lining (pleural mesothelioma), the stomach's lining (peritoneal mesothelioma) or the lining of the heart (pericardial mesothelioma).
The only way to diagnose mesothelioma is through medical testing. The doctor will examine the patient and inquire about their work history. The doctor may also conduct tests of imaging to determine abnormalities in the chest or abdomen. These tests could include X-rays, CT scans, MRI or PET scans.
If mesothelioma is a possibility, doctors will take a sample of the tissue or fluid for further analysis. Under microscopes, they look for cancerous cells to determine the type of mesothelioma the patient has. There are three types of mesothelioma namely epithelioid (most popular) and sarcomatoid (second most frequent) and biphasic. 70 percent of mesothelioma cases are epithelioid. The sarcomatoid is the less common type. The biphasic type is a combination of the first two and can be more difficult to treat than any type separately.
Treatment options for mesothelioma depend on the type, stage and severity of the disease. Some types of mesothelioma can be more aggressive than other. Patients with advanced stage disease have a worse prognosis.
Patients with mesothelioma may also be treated by chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy. These treatments can be painful for certain patients, and may result in side effects such as nausea fatigue, vomiting, nausea and difficulty breathing. However these side effects are often temporary and can be controlled by medication or other methods. Certain patients also receive radiation treatment after surgery to kill cancer cells that surgeons missed.
Prognosis
Asbestos has been known to cause serious medical issues despite its wide use and repute as a long-lasting and cost-effective product. Mesothelioma is just one of these conditions. It is a condition that affects the linings of organs and structures such as the lungs and the heart. Mesothelioma symptoms may take a long time to appear. Treatments can aid in managing and reducing symptoms.
Asbestos fibers are microscopic and can be absorbed into the body. They may then become lodged within certain tissues. Asbestos, causes of mesothelioma a naturally occurring mineral is used in products from textiles to insulation for a long time.
When asbestos is disturbed, it transforms into airborne and can be inhaled or ingested. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause irritation to cells in the lungs, causing DNA damage and malignancy. When ingested, the asbestos fibers are digested and then travel through the digestive tract to the outside lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) where they may cause inflammation and eventually result in mesothelioma.
Exposure to asbestos through secondhand contact is also possible when you live in a home where someone has worked around asbestos. Family members may be exposed when workers bring home stray asbestos fibers on their clothes or hair, skin or. The risk of contracting mesothelioma also increased if you have an ancestral history of the illness.
There are two types of mesothelioma: pleural and peritoneal. Pleural mesothelioma is found in the tissues of the lungs and chest. It is the most prevalent mesothelioma type. Peritoneal mesothelioma develops when asbestos fibers enter the lining of the abdominal cavity and organs. This mesothelioma type is more prevalent than pleural and affects the lining of the abdomen.
Asbestos, which is a highly toxic mineral, can cause cancers of different types as well as other illnesses like mesothelioma and lung cancer. The dangers of asbestos were not widely known until the early 1980s, when manufacturers began to realize that asbestos was dangerous. Until then, blue-collar industries and the military routinely used asbestos in items such as flooring, roofing insulation, brake linings, and insulation.