Mesothelioma Facts – Basic Information
Mesothelioma is a very rare form of cancer and can occur in the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs, the peritoneum, which is surrounding the abdomen, and the pericardium, which lines the heart. Although asbestos is the most commonly known risk factor of mesothelioma, there are other risk factors including zeolites, radiation exposure, SV40, and genetic predetermination.Mesothelioma is a very rare disease, but its signs and symptoms are so common that they can sometimes be mistaken for an everyday illness, making it very difficult to diagnosis.
Mesothelioma Facts – Symptoms
Many patients can have symptoms for up to six months before diagnosis, but may have actually been exposed to asbestos, the leading cause of mesothelioma as many as 50 years ago.
Fatigue, anemia (decrease in number of red blood cells), wheezing, hoarseness, cough, and blood in sputum coughed up (hemoptysis) are common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
In some severe cases of pleural mesothelioma, a person may develop several tumor masses, have a collapsed lung (pneumothorax), or the disease will spread to other parts of the body such as the abdomen.
Weight loss, ascites which is abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen, swelling and pain in the abdomen, and blood clotting abnormalities are symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma.
A major symptom of peritoneal mesothelioma is problems with bowel functions. This can be a sign of a bowel obstruction which could be caused by a tumor extending through the diaphragm – one of the leading causes of death from mesothelioma.
In severe cases of mesothelioma, other symptoms may occur, including a condition known as thrombophlebitis, which is vein inflammation caused by blood clots in the veins.
A disorder known as disseminated vascular coagulation that causes severe bleeding in many organs is also another symptom possible in severe cases of mesothelioma. Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the area surrounding the heart, include difficulty breathing and chest pain. A mass on the testicles may be the first sign of mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis, which affects the area surrounding the testicles.
Mesothelioma Facts – Treatments
There are three main treatment options for mesothelioma – surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. In many cases doctors will suggest a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to treat mesothelioma called multimodality treatment.
Surgery
Two types of surgery your doctor can perform are pleurectomy, removal of tissue around your lungs, and a peritonectomy, removal of the tissue of the abdominal cavity.
The two main reasons for surgery are palliation, which is making a patient feel more comfortable and trying to relieve pain and discomfort, and trying to cure a patient.
Palliative care is when a tumor has metastasized or spread beyond the mesothelium and is difficult to remove completely.
Curative surgeries are for when a patient is in otherwise good overall health and tumors are considered localized and able to be completely removed.
Thoracentesis, the removal of fluid build-up in your lungs decreasing your ability to breath, is one type of surgery that can be performed.
One surgery specific to pleural mesothelioma, or mesothelioma that affects the tissue surrounding the lungs is a pleurectomy/decortication, where the entire tumor cannot be removed.
A more extensive surgery that is offered in a more localized case of pleural mesothelioma is an extrapleural pneumonectomy.
There have been reports that some males can have an increase quality of life after undergoing a penectomy, removal of the penis, and scrotectomy, removal of the scrotum, which are curative surgical options for men with mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, or treatment with chemicals is another type of treatment you and your doctor may choose in order to shrink or slow the growth of your tumor cells.
Chemotherapy done before surgery is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and chemotherapy done after surgery is called adjuvant chemotherapy.
There are many different types of chemotherapy, but three of the top choices used specifically to treat mesothelioma are pemetrexed IV sold under the brand name Altima, cisplatin and carboplatin.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is the method of focusing high-energy beams such as X-rays to specific parts of your body to shrink cancer cells. There are two different types of radiation therapy – external beam radiation and brachytherapy. External beam radiation is the most commonly used type of radiation therapy and has fewer side effects than chemotherapy, and radiation therapy is less invasive.
Brachytherapy, which seems to be most effective in treating pleural mesothelioma, involves implanting radioactive seeds into your tumor, directly killing the cancerous cells and avoiding the healthy cells.
Side effects of radiation therapy can include skin damage, fatigue, mouth problems, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and hair loss.
Mesothelioma Facts – Alternative Treatment
Alternative treatments can range from a wide variety of options, each assisting in different ways working on pain management or alleviation, relaxation and stress reduction, reducing side effects, and working to lift the spirits and improve overall quality of life of patients with mesothelioma.
Some of the alternative treatment options that work to alleviate pain include acupuncture, aromatherapy, Biofeedback therapy, chiropractic care, myofascial therapy, light therapy, reflexology, music therapy, manual therapy and sound therapy.
Alternative treatment therapies that can be used for relaxation and stress reduction can include aromatherapy, art therapy, dance therapy, Feng Shui, healing and therapeutic touch therapy, hypnotherapy, massages, meditation, personal fitness therapy, pet therapy, Reiki, and Yoga.
Therapies such as Bowenwork, craniosacral therapy, manual therapy, healing and therapeutic touch therapy, osteopathy, and music therapy have been used to help reduce the side effects of conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Alternative therapies are not necessarily curative therapies, but they are palliative in nature, and may provide you with some relief from the side effects of your conventional therapies.
Mesothelioma Facts – Risks
Although asbestos is the most commonly known risk factor of mesothelioma, there are other risk factors including zeolites, radiation exposure, SV40, and genetic predetermination. It is believed that approximately 70-80% of all mesothelioma cases are linked to working with asbestos. Although commercial use of asbestos was outlawed in the late 1980s and 1990s, there are still many buildings and homes in the United States containing asbestos products such as cement and insulation.
Tobacco use combined with the exposure to asbestos have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. The highest known rate of mesothelioma, possibly due to zeolites, is in Turkey where they have an abundant concentration of zeolites in the soil, and can result in inhalation of dust particles.
In the United States, zeolites are found mostly in the west in states such as Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, California, Wyoming, North Dakota and Utah. Thorium dioxide, an X-ray developing chemical, has a molecular structure that is similar to asbestos. It is believed that this chemical, and/or a combination of high doses of radiation from X-rays given prior to the 1950s may be linked to an increased risk of developing mesothelioma. Scientists have found that the exposure to asbestos and SV40 gives patients an increased risk for developing mesothelioma. Some scientists believe that even our own genetics can put us at an increased risk for developing mesothelioma.
