Mesothelioma
BY: Shane Cloud, Tennyson Hendershott, and
Josh Wykoff
What Is It?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer.
Mesothelioma is the term used to describe a
cancerous tumor which involves the mesothelial
cells of an organ, usually the lungs, heart, or
abdominal organs.
What causes it?
Asbestos exposure is the foremost cause of mesothelioma.
Asbestos is a chemical that is used in thousands of industrial and
household products. There are a number of ways in which a
person could have experienced exposure to asbestos. These
include: working at an asbestos mine or living near an asbestos
mine or processing plant. There are more ways but the basic idea
is that anything involved with asbestos puts you at risk. It
generally takes repeated, heavy exposure to asbestos in an
occupational setting to be at risk for asbestos-related disease.
Once asbestos fibers accumulate in the body, they can trigger a
number of biological changes that may lead to mesothelioma.
Scientists say that it is unlikely that mesothelioma risk is
inherited. However, it is proven to be environmentally induced.
What are the effects?
Mesothelioma affects the lungs, so the pleural
lining is the first place where side effects will be
identified. These side effects are listed below:
chest pain (mostly while taking deep breaths),
pain in the chest cavity, which occurs worse
when lying down, pleural effusion- which is a
fluid that develops around the lungs, fatigue and
chronic tiredness, and a constant shortness of
breath. In addition to the above effects, this
cancer also may or may not bring forth a few
more effects, such as, abdominal pain and
discomfort, liver disease, and blood clots in the
veins and throughout the body.
What are the different stages of
Cancer?
There are four stages to Mesothelioma.
1. The first stage is localized and the cancer has not spread
to other organs.
2. In stage 2 the tumor increases in size and has invaded the
lungs or diaphragm.
3. In stage 3, Mesothelioma invades a single area. For
example, it can affect the chest wall, esophagus, and
lymph nodes.
4. In stage 4 the cancer spreads and affects multiple regions
of the body. If the cancer reaches this point then, it is
identified as terminal cancer.
How is this Cancer detected?
There are many symptoms that go along with having
Mesothelioma. Some of them are, pain in the lower
back or at the side of the chest, cough, hoarseness, and
swelling of the arms.
When a patient has one or more of these symptoms there
are tests that can be done to prove that the patient has
mesothelioma.
The first test, usually, is the chest X-ray. The X-ray can
show the thickening of the lining of the lungs. Another
test is a CT scan. The CT scan can be used to find the
location of the cancer.
What are the possible
treatments?
Cancer Treatment primarily focuses on the
destruction of malignant cells while
preserving healthy cells. There are three
treatments commonly used for
Mesothelioma. Surgery, radiation, and
chemotherapy can be used separately to
fight cancer or a combination of the
treatments can be used. Treatment depends
on the type of mesothelioma, the stage the
cancer is at, and the physical health of the
patient.
Is there a cure?
There is no actual cure to Mesothelioma, but some
practices may help to reduce the intensity of the
cancer. These practices include medicines and
chemotherapy which vary based on how severe the
cancer is.
Surgery can be used to remove infected body tissues
Radiation therapy can be used to find and kill the
Mesothelioma cells
Chemotherapy is used to kill and stop the spread of
the cancer cells, it can either be injected or taken
orally
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Is there a way to prevent this
type of cancer?
At Work-
1. If the presence of asbestos at work is suspected, protective gear should be worn
2. Any protective gear or clothes that have been worn at the site in the presence of asbestos,
should be left at the work site. If the clothes were to be worn outside of the work site, others will
be exposed to it
At Home-
1. Asbestos is usually never outside around the house, but it is inside
2. Some items that may release asbestos in your home include...
• Attic insulation
• Roof shingles and tar
• Drywall and drywall glue
• Floor tiles
• Popcorn ceilings
• Joint compounds
• Wrapping on pipes and electrical wires
Information on Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is the most serious of all
asbestos diseases. It is not an uncommon
disease yet it isn't rare either. Tumors of the
mesothelium were first recognized in the
18th century. But scientist didn't think it
was as deadly of a disease as they thought
so it was not studied upon or examined until
the 20th century. The cancer was quite rare
in the early 1900's but during the ww2 era,
naval shipyards portrayed a great amount of
exposure of asbestos.
Support Groups?
Many support groups are available to Cancer
patients. Some of these groups include the
ACOR (Association of Cancer Online
Resources), AICR (American Institute for
Cancer Research), and the NHPCO (National
Hospice and Palliative Care Organization).
These groups help Cancer Patients with
information on Cancer, treatment, and
where to find local support groups.
Sources
1. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_there_a_cure_for_mesothelioma
2. http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/stages/
3. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/malignantmesothelioma/overviewguide/
malignant-mesothelioma-overview-diagnosed
4. http://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/causes.php
5. http://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/prevention.php
6. http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/
7. http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/support/mesotheliomasupport.php
8. http://www.maacenter.org/mesothelioma/treatment/