Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, commonly linked with prior exposure to asbestos. In this disease, cancerous cells grow in the protective lining (mesothelium) covering the internal organs of the body. This disease is commonly located in the outer lining of the chest cavity and lungs (pleura). It can also be found in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), or the sac that envelops the heart (pericardium). People who contract this disease have invariably worked on jobs that put them in close contact with asbestos.
One of the characteristics of mesothelioma is that symptoms can appear very late, sometimes 50 years following first contact with asbestos. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, the disease’s most common form, include discomfort in the chest and difficulty in breathing. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma, another form of the disease, include weight loss, abdominal swelling and pain. Blood clotting, bowel obstruction and fever are other symptoms of this type of mesothelioma. If the malignancy has spread to other body parts, then symptoms may include pain, face swelling and difficulty in swallowing food. However, it is important to remember that these symptoms are not exclusive to this disease; they can happen with other less severe conditions as well.
Over the past two decades, the rate of mesothelioma cases has gone up. Still, in the larger picture, it is a relatively rare cancer. The percentage of cases largely depends on the populations’ exposure to asbestos. In the United States, it has been reported that that frequency may have hit the highest point at 15 per million in 2004. This trend is thought to continue in other parts of the world. Interestingly, mesothelioma is more common in men than women. The risk of this disease augments with age, but a person of any age or gender can be affected. About one-fifth to one-third of all mesothelioma cases are peritoneal.
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A Guide To Peritoneal Mesothelioma
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Approximately 10-20 percent of the cases of mesothelioma begin in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneal mesotheliomas). This type of mesothelioma does not respond well to treatment, but is less common than pleural mesothelioma, which affects the membrane covering the lungs. Since it is...
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Mesothelioma Symptoms: An Overview
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Malignant mesotheliomas are rare cancers that form in the tissues lining the lungs (pleura), abdomen (peritoneum) or heart (pericardium). Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, is the most common, accounting for about 75 percent of all malignant mesotheliomas. Between ten and twenty...
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival Rates
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a cancer of the abdomen lining caused due to prolonged exposure to asbestos. Thousands of lawsuits are handled every year dealing with the issue of peritoneal mesothelioma and its effects. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after...
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Mesothelioma Stomach Symptoms
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Stomach or abdominal symptoms are often experienced by patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of mesothelioma is a cancer of the peritoneal cells that line the abdomen. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are insidious and often tend to be confused for symptoms of more common, and...
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Mesothelioma Symptoms: An Introduction
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Mesothelioma is a deadly and rare form of cancer that has developed from exposure to asbestos. The inhaling of the highly toxic asbestos is the major cause of mesothelioma. The ingested particles of asbestos develop the cancerous or malignant cells in the mesothelium. Mesothelium is...
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Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Mesothelioma is one of the most uncommon forms of cancer. It generally affects the lungs, heart or abdominal organs. The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma. The pleuron is a slight membrane between the chest cavity and the lungs. The lubrication it...
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen. The cancer envelops many of the organs in the abdomen by a thin membrane of mesothelial cells, known as the peritoneum. Its only known cause in the U.S. is previous exposure...
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Advanced Mesothelioma Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Mesothelioma symptoms tend to develop gradually, and earlier symptoms are often confused for illnesses that are more amenable to treatment. For example, the cough, difficulty breathing, and chest pain experienced in pleural mesothelioma is often seen in lung infections such as pneumonia. Typically, once symptoms...
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Asbestos And Mesothelioma 1
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Asbestos, a naturally occurring complex silicate, was extensively used in many industries, including insulation in shipbuilding, manufacture of brake lining, and automobiles. Asbestos is a common name given to a group of six fibrous minerals which have their existence in two general forms, friable and...
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Clinical Mesothelioma Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Many people who have clinical symptoms of mesothelioma have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. This is because symptoms tend to present late in most cases. The majority of people have symptoms for only two or three months before a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma...