Asbestos exposure can cause incurable cancer Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is rapidly growing health issue that is caused
by asbestos exposure.
So let’s have a look at what is mesothelioma and asbestos:
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a very rare form of cancer that primarily
develops in the lining of the lungs or the abdomen. The symptoms of
mesothelioma don’t appear in the earliest stages but it appears during the
advanced stage when the treatment is not effective. This disease is caused by
asbestos and has no known cure and the worst prognosis but there are various
therapies that can help the quality of life and reduce pain levels.
Mesothelioma affects the tissue in our body known as the
mesothelium. It is a very thin layer that covers all the organs of our body.
Asbestos fibers, when inhaled or ingested, can lodge in this tissue. It stays
there for years and causes inflammation, scarring, and deformation. This
ultimately results in cancer, mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma cancer has various
types occurring in different area of the body:
- Pleural : this is the most common type affecting lungs caused by inhaling asbestos fiber
- Peritoneal: It occurs in the lining of the abdominal area
- Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis: it is the rarest form affecting testicles
- Pericardial: this form affects the lining of the heart
The symptoms of mesothelioma may differ for every type but
generally, it includes weight loss, unusual lumps of tissue, pain, painful
coughing, and shortness of breath.
These are the early symptoms common to many diseases so the
diagnosis of mesothelioma mostly occurs during its advanced stages.
The diagnostic tests
that doctors will do are:
- Imaging tests which include x-rays, CT scans, PET scans, and MRI scans through which any physical abnormalities cause by asbestos can be exposed
- Tissue and Fluid samples are used to make diagnosis if the images test has caused any suspicion
- Blood tests are done because certain substances in the blood are markers of mesothelioma.
The treatments used for the last-stage mesothelioma patients
to help them reduce the pain and discomfort:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
The above is also on mesothelioma-and-asbestos-info.com and prayer-for-cancer.com
