Find out About Malignant mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells of the serous membranes in the body. The most common form of mesothelioma, affecting the lining of the lung, is pleural mesothelioma. Two to three thousand new cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed each year.

The mission of All About Malignant Mesothelioma is to provide a one-stop resource for comprehensive, up-to-date mesothelioma information. We cover the full scope of malignant mesothelioma issues including background, history, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Please recommend the site to someone who may benefit from mesothelioma information. All About Malignant Mesothelioma also includes comprehensive information on filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit to obtain mesothelioma compensation.

Introduction to Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma affects the lining or membranes of certain large cavities in the body. These cavities, called the serous cavities, house certain major organs in the body including the heart, lungs, abdomen and others. The membranes that surround these cavities are called the serous membranes. They serve to protect these major organs from the friction and abrasion that occur as the organs move against each other during typical daily functioning, such as breathing and heart beating. The serous membranes derive from specialized cells called mesothelial cells. These cells form to create the mesothelium, which is the major tissue layer of the serous membranes. Cancer that occurs in the mesothelium tissue is called mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma takes on three forms:

• Peritoneal mesothelioma, in the peritoneum or membrane surrounding the abdomen. A rare form of peritoneal mesothelioma can also affect the male testicles, because the lining around the scrotum is an extension of the peritoneum.
• Pericardial mesothelioma, in the perdicardium or lining surrounding the heart.
• Pleural mesothelioma, which is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma and affects the lining of the lung cavity.

All mesotheliomas are now considered to be malignant, or cancerous. They start as a localized tumor and spread rapidly to include most of the surrounding tissues and organs. Originally, fibrous cists and other non-cancerous growths that appeared in the serous membranes were thought to be mesotheliomas and were termed "benign fibrous mesothelioma" and "multicystic mesothelioma." These conditions are now known not to originate in the mesothelial cells, but other cells within the serous membranes. These conditions are typically localized, non-cancerous and do not spread rapidly.

Etiology of Malignant Mesothelioma

Most cases of malignant mesothelioma are associated with a previous exposure to fibrous minerals, of which asbestos is the most important. There is now indisputable evidence of the role of these fibers in the development of this disease. This has been demonstrated in animal experiments and many other experiments. Not everyone who is exposed to asbestos fibers has developed malignant mesothelioma, suggesting that other factors may also be involved.

Although malignant mesothelioma is rare, it is a serious, deadly disease. It is often in the advanced stages when it is detected, so the outlook for the patients is not as good as it is for the cancers that are detected earlier. The average survival time after detection is 1 to 2 years. This survival time also depends on the type of mesothelioma.

Further Malignant Mesothelioma Information

Please continue reading the articles on this website for more mesothelioma information and asbestos information. In addition, we recommend the following malignant mesothelioma resources:

• American Cancer Society
• MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine (NIH)
• National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
• Yahoo! Health

Malignant mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is quite rare; it affects only the thin wall of cells that line the internal organs and structures. This lining is called the mesothelium and malignant mesothelioma can manifest itself in three main ways. It can be pleural which affects the lungs, peritoneal which affects the abdominal cavity wall and pericardial which affects the lining in the heart. Experts believe that there is only one way to contract malignant mesothelioma and that is through exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is highly toxic to humans yet was once used in abundance in the building and construction trades. It was used as it has a very high tolerance of heat and it is remarkably strong, it was also very cheap. It is made of fibres which are microscopic and can be airborne when ceilings covered with asbestos crack or when it is otherwise exposed to the air. When fibres of asbestos get inside the body they cannot be broken down or expelled and this will result in serious scarring of the mesothelioma and inflammation. Once this scarring occurs it is only a matter of time before malignant mesothelioma takes hold in one of its various forms.
Symptoms of malignant mesothelioma can initially be quite hard to spot as they can be quite unnoticeable.

As a result they can be passed off as being day to day illnesses and this can cause even more problems as this delay gives malignant mesothelioma even more time to take hold of a person. It has been known for people with malignant mesothelioma to live with their symptoms for up to six months before they seek medical help with them. Symptoms of the various forms of malignant mesothelioma can include - shortness of breath, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, persistent coughing with or without blood in it, abdominal pains, stomach pains, chest pains, pain in the lower back and in some cases swelling of the face and arms and a loss of sensory capabilities. As these symptoms are so wide ranging and often seemingly unconnected it is no wonder that it can be difficult to obtain a correct diagnosis. Experts now recommend that anyone who has had prior exposure to asbestos at some point in their lives gets checked out for malignant mesothelioma even if they feel fit and well. Doing this could vastly extend a person's life who could go on to be diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma.

Treatment for malignant mesothelioma can vary and surgery should only be an option if the disease is diagnosed in the very early stages. Otherwise it is more common for a person to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy to attempt to control the malignant mesothelioma. Although there is no known cure for malignant mesothelioma it can be controlled for some time if it is caught in time. Otherwise the outlook is not particularly positive and the best that many people with malignant mesothelioma can hope for is to be able to manage their symptoms and pain with painkillers and other medication.

Pleural Mesothelioma: Warning Signs

If you have ever been exposed to asbestos, whether directly or from a spouse whom was, then you will want to read this article. There are two main symptoms of pleural mesothelioma that you need to look out for: difficulty breathing and chest pain. I will explain each in this article so that you have a better awareness of when you need to put the pride away and go see a doctor.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer found in the lungs and abdomen. Estimates show it affects over 2000 people every year in the states alone. This disease is the direct result of asbestos exposure. However, nearly a quarter of all diagnosed had no exposure to asbestos. So even if you never had exposure and you find yourself with the following pleural mesothelioma symptoms you need to see a doctor.

Pleural mesothelioma is cancer that is found in the pleura of the lungs. The pleura is the lining or membrane that surrounds the lung tissue. This lining has two layers: visceral and parietal. The visceral is the inner layer while the parietal is the outer. In between them is lubricating fluid to help the two layers slide over each other as our lungs contract and expand for our breathing. When one begins the early stages of pleural mesothelioma the cancer can cause the layers to become thicker. This can result in the pleural mesothelioma symptoms; difficulty breathing and chest pain.

Obviously difficulty breathing is a common symptom for many ailments. So don't conclude that you have mesothelioma. You need to visit a doctor as soon as you can.

In pleural mesothelioma you begin to have shortness of breath and difficulty breathing because of the two layers of the lining pushing against each other. The layers create more tension because they become thicker as mesothelioma develops. This can also cause discomfort from swallowing and regular coughing. It can also cause hoarseness of the throat and coughing up of blood.

Another symptom is pain in the chest. Naturally as the layers become thicker due to the growth of cancer cells and push against your lungs causing shortness of breath they can also cause chest pain because of the added pressure. The pain typically begins on the side and spreads up to your shoulders and neck.

If you experience either of these symptoms you should consult a doctor right away. As pleural mesothelioma spreads the symptoms will become worse. Visit a doctor and make it a point to notify him or her if you have had any exposure to asbestos and your history of it. There is evidence that a person can get this cancer indirectly from exposure to someone that had direct exposure with asbestos. So if your spouse worked in a high asbestos exposure occupation make sure you tell your doctor.

Current problems in the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

The diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is challenging although MPM is highly aggressive tumor. The current diagnostic gold standard is principally based on light microscopic examination of hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical stains of large tissue sections. However, pathological diagnosis of MPM and classification of histological findings into 1 of the 3 subtypes (epithelial, sarcomatoid, biphasic) are difficult. We studied correlation between initial and final histological diagnosis retrospectively from the records of 21 cases with MPM from 1989 to 2005.

The diagnosis of MPM was confirmed by histopathological examination of pleural tissue samples obtained by closed biopsy under computed tomography (CT) or ultrasonography-guided (5 cases), by biopsy under thoracoscopy with local anesthesia (9), by open biopsy via thoracotomy (2), and by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) [5] . Pleural biopsy under those diagnostic methods led to initial diagnosis of MPM in 15 of 21 cases (71.4%) . In 6 cases (28.6%) , initial diagnosis of MPM were not confirmed because of missing malignant tissue (1 case) and relatively small and sarcomatous element (5). In 2 cases examined by closed biopsy and in 3 examined by thoracoscopy under local anesthesia, initial diagnosis of MPM were not confirmed. To get the accurate diagnosis of MPM, obtaining large tissue samples in the initial examination by less invasive thoracoscopy is recommended