MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMA

Malignant Mesothelioma is a rare disease caused as a result of malignant cancerous cells lining the patient's body cavities such as chest, abdomen or the area surrounding the heart. It is typically associated with exposure to asbestos which has been documented in as many as 80% of all malignant mesothelioma cases. This disease is very difficult to assess consistently due to the great variability in time before diagnosis and the rate of progression of malignant mesothelioma. Even insignificant exposure to asbestos, commonly reported in such employment industries as asbestos mills and plants, mines, shipping yards, some older Navy ships or automobile plants is known to result in mesothelioma, which in many cases does not occur for 20-50 years after initial exposure to this cancer-causing substance. In the recent years as many as 3000 cases of mesothelioma have been diagnosed per year in the United States alone and many more in countries like Australia. It is also known that family members of workers exposed to asbestos can contract this disease through exposure to the employees clothing. Smoking greatly increases the risk of contracting mesothelioma but has not been directly linked to progressing pleural mesothelioma which is the disease contracted in the lining of the lungs. Some of the earliest symptoms of malignant mesothelioma can often be mistaken for less serious illness and are commonly overlooked. Some patients do not show any signs of sickness in the early stages of development of the disease. Most commonly the symptoms include lasting cough, fatigue, and weight loss and or severe pain in the abdominal area. However, these cannot be easily attributed to mesothelioma unless the patient is examined by their health care provider and necessary tests are done, which may include CT scans, x-rays scans, or MRI. Surgery can be one of the treatment options; however, the recurrence rate of cancerous cells is high. It is very important that the disease is diagnosed and treated as early as possible. This disease is not linked with a person’s ethnicity; however it is more common in men. Most cases of malignant mesothelioma occur 30 plus years after initial exposure to asbestos and once diagnosed this cancer will continue to grow until it is treated.

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