Mesothelioma disease is a term often used to mean mesothelioma cancer; a disease in the mesothelium of the body cavity. This rare form of cancer is most linked to an individual’s previous exposure to asbestos fiber. Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma disease came into contact with asbestos fibers at work, though some individuals came into the contact through other forms of exposure. Not all people who have come into contact asbestos will develop mesothelioma; though most people who develop mesothelioma disease have come into contact with asbestos.
A person recently diagnosed with this rare, but deadly cancer may experience much confusion about the disease. Healthy concerns for one’s own well being is an important factor in living with a fatal disease. Some of the questions most common are:
- What is mesothelioma disease?
- Why did I get mesothelioma disease?
- How does mesothelioma disease develop?
- What are my options for treating mesothelioma disease?
- Am I going to die because of mesothelioma disease?
These are natural questions to ask and it may be hard to understand that doctors don’t know as much about this cancer as they do about other, more common diseases. There is a lack of information about mesothelioma disease because it is so rare in comparison to other diseases. The medical community is still working hard to find answers to how asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma disease, why some develop the cancer and others do not, and what treatments are most likely to be a successful agent against mesothelioma.
While much is still unknown, doctors around the world have documented what they do know about mesothelioma disease and its behavior. Also, once a cancer begins to develop it usually follows a predictable pattern. Doctors have discovered chemotherapy medicines that are most effective in reducing the growth rate and others that seem to have little or no effect at all on mesothelioma disease. The extended latency period is well documented and new discoveries were made about why mesothelioma disease develops more rapidly in some but not others.
Mesothelioma Disease is a Rare Form of Cancer
Mesothelioma disease develops in the lining of the organs and structures within the body cavity; the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a structure that protects everything in the body cavity. It excretes a lubricating liquid that prevents injury during physical activity and normal body functions such as breathing. Each part of the mesothelium is designated a specific name that identifies which part of the body to which it is most relevant. Mesothelioma disease most commonly originates around the lungs, but is known to develop in one of four parts of the mesothelium – two of which are rare for this cancer.
- Pleural mesothelioma disease develops in the protective lining around the lungs and chest wall. (About 75% of all mesothelioma disease cases occur here.); a structure known as the “pleura”.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma disease is the second most common form of the cancer and develops in the protective lining surrounding the organs in the abdomen and which covers the abdominal walls; a structure known as the “peritoneum”.
- Pericardial mesothelioma disease is a very rare form of the cancer and develops in the protective lining around the heart; a structure known as the “pericardial sac”.
- Tunica vagnialis mesothelioma disease is the rarest form of the cancer and develops in the protective lining around the testicles; a structure known as the tunica vaginalis.
Mesothelioma Disease is caused by a Carcinogen
Asbestos is the carcinogen (cancer causing agent) most commonly associated with mesothelioma disease. The most deadly asbestos fibers known to cause mesothelioma disease come from two types of asbestos minerals; amosite and crocidolite. Cutting and mining asbestos causes the brown fibers (amosite) and blue fibers (crocidolite) to become airborne. Asbestos fibers occur in shapes that able them to become lodged in the body if they are inhaled, digested, or otherwise introduced into the body.
Most individuals who develop this cancer have worked in an occupation which exposed them to asbestos fibers. New cases of mesothelioma disease are expected to significantly decline in the future because of global regulation of the mineral that occurred in the 1970’s. However, asbestos is still used in some countries for certain types of materials; putting people in those occupations at risk of exposure.
| Mesothelioma Disease: At-Risk Occupations |
|---|
| Occupation | Possible Exposure Sitations |
| Construction and Finishing | • Drywall, plaster, mud, textures, joint compounds • Vinyl tiles, adhesives, sheets, acoustics • Roof shingles, building siding materials • Roofing materials including tars and felts • Paneling, counters, flooring • Insulations |
| Plumbing and Electricity | • Piping, caulking, gaskets • Pipe insulators • Duct work piping and connectors |
| Automotive | • Brake pads, clutch plates, fluid additives • Shaft Packing and some heat resistant lubricants |
| Emergency Responders | • Fireproof materials, including fire suits • Fire doors, fire blankets |
| Miscellaneous Occupations | • Curtains, castings, and filters for beverages and liquid particulates |
Not all cases of mesothelioma disease are a result of direct occupational exposure. The families of those who worked with asbestos are at risk too, particularly those who lived with an exposed person prior to the regulation of asbestos. At one time, it was common for a mine worker to return home after a day of work without changing their clothes. Asbestos dust covering clothing can become airborne and transferred to others in the house hold. This is especially true of the spouses and children of asbestos miners in the first half of the 1990’s because they typically handled the asbestos dust coated laundry. There are confirmed cases of mesothelioma disease in the house mates of miners.
Mesothelioma Disease Development is Mysterious
Asbestos kills human tissue cells and dead cells can’t mutate and become cancerous, which makes the development of mesothelioma disease somewhat of a mystery. Medical experts know that asbestos is linked directly to the disease, but aren’t clear on “how” it can develop cancer. Newer studies indicate that it also damages nearby cells that don’t come into direct contact with the fibers. Those damaged cells may be the cells that eventually become cancerous. Scientists have also identified a particle that is released during cell death caused by asbestos contact. Isolating this particle could be the key to prevent the growth of this disease, but treatments for this are still in the clinical trial phases.
Mesothelioma Disease Survival Rates
The prognosis for an individual with mesothelioma disease is grim, at best. The best cases are usually given a 5-year outlook if the cancer is diagnosed in its earliest stage of development and less than 1-year in later stages. Because mesothelioma disease develops slowly and symptoms are presented much later in the stage of progression, many people are at risk of death within one year. Early diagnosis, multi-modal treatment, and the overall general health of the diagnosed patient are critical in extending their expected life-span.
Mesothelioma Disease Treatments Can Extend Life Expectancy
The first choice in the treatment of any cancer is surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Fewer cancer cells in the body mean that the growth of mesothelioma disease is significantly slowed. Chemotherapy with drugs like pemetrexed and cisplatin following surgery offers the best hope of increased expectancy. In later stages of mesothelioma disease, surgery is impossible and treatment focuses on patient comfort instead of life expectancy extension. Extending a patient’s life expectancy is the main objective in the treatment of mesothelioma disease.
