Malignant mesothelioma is usually a fatal disease. Often by the time it is diagnosed, the cancer has spread extensively, even though the patient may not have had any earlier symptoms. Malignant mesothelioma affects about 2,000 people each year in the US. It is a fast-spreading cancer, but there are several treatment methods.
Research is being undertaken to alleviate the pain and other symptoms, to improve the quality of life for sufferers, and to find cures for this devastating disease. Life expectancy rates for sufferers normally range from approximately nine months to a year after diagnosis. This can be improved to two, or in rare cases five years with extensive and aggressive treatment, if the cancer is detected early.
Malignant mesothelioma is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, a carcinogenic material used in construction. A few cases are due to exposure to a mineral silicate called zeolite, or to thorotrast, which was used in the pre-1960s as a radiation contrast dye to enable blood vessels show up on X-rays.
The three main types of malignant mesothelioma are epithelial, sarcomatoid and mixed. The most common type is epithelial mesothelioma. Once malignant mesothelioma has been diagnosed, the next step is to determine what stage the disease has progressed to. This helps to fix how extensively the tumor has spread. There are four levels of the staging. Stage I responds best to treatment, as in this stage the tumor is limited to the pleural lining of the chest.
CT scans and MRIs are used to determine the extent of the spread of the tumorous cells, and what treatment is best suited to the case. The disease usually affects the mesothelium, a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma affect the pleura that lines the chest cavity and the lungs. Mesothelioma can also affect the peritoneum, which covers the abdominal cavity. In rare cases, it can affect the pericardium, which covers the heart.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
A Guide To Malignant Mesothelioma Diagnosis
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The most critical form of mesothelioma is the malignant form. Known as malignant mesothelioma, the primary causal factor is asbestos infection. According to the US National Cancer Institute, “Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the...
-
Malignant Mesothelioma
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer in which malignant or cancerous cells form in the thin layers of tissue lining the human chest, heart or abdomen. When the cancer is in the chest, it affects the pleura or tissue lining the lungs and is called...
-
A Guide To Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma is neoplasm arising from the serosal lining of the peritoneal and pericardial cavities. Primary tumors arising from the peritoneal mesothelioma are extremely rare. The accurate diagnosis of the diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma is important because it almost invariably has a fatal outcome. In...
-
Malignant Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Majority of mesothelioma (cancerous tumor affecting mesothelial cells of organs) cases come under the classification ‘pleural mesothelioma’. This is a cancer that originates in the pleura, the delicate membrane covering the lungs. Out of these, seventy five percent are diffuse malignant pleural mesethelioma. The balance...
-
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest and lungs. It is a rare form of cancer that is mostly associated with exposure to asbestos. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a fast-moving cancer with a median survival time...
-
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Survival Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of malignant mesothelioma. Many factors may be involved in determining the survival rate for this aggressive cancer; some are better understood than others. Estimates of median survival time range from one to two years; survival depends on...
-
Mesothelioma Treatment Forums
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mesothelioma is the term used for a cancerous tumor, which involves the mesothelioma cells of lungs, heart or abdominal organs. Medical specialists in mesothelioma provide treatment to the patients after assessing the stage of the mesothelioma in their specific case. They analyze the location of...
-
Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the peritoneum, or tissue lining the abdomen and some of its organs. This lining tissue provides a small amount of lubricating fluid that allows organs in the gut to move and work properly. This cancer accounts for approximately...
-
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment Costs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen, enveloping many of the organs in the abdomen by a thin membrane of mesothelial cells, known as the peritoneum. It is caused due to exposure to asbestos. This tumor as a...
-
Malignant Mesothelioma Diagnosis
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
When a patient has symptoms suggesting malignant mesothelioma, a doctor starts with imaging techniques to confirm a diagnosis. X-rays and CT scans of the chest or abdomen are taken to identify any abnormalities, such as fluid collections, thickening of tissue, or growths, that may indicate...