What is Mesothelioma? The Answers You Need

Mesothelioma is a highly-aggressive type of cancer that develops in the tissue that lines and protects the lungs, stomach, heart and other organs. That protective tissue lining is called the mesothelium, hence the medical term for this type of cancer - Mesothelioma.

The vast majority of the time, Mesothelioma develops as a result of an individual having been exposed to asbestos. Most of the people who are diagnosed with Mesothelioma have inhaled it or were exposed to asbestos dust or fibers through contact with clothing that contained the particles. The majority of prognoses are the result of individuals who worked in asbestos factories or other facilities that utilized asbestos-based compounds during the 1940s and mid-century when the hazards of it weren’t known – the symptoms can lay dormant for up to 50 years. Mesothelioma diagnoses are more common in men than women, but can affect both genders.

When cancer cells are present in the mesothelium, if extensive and especially when untreated, the membrane will start to break down and the cancer will spread from the origin spot to other areas of the body. Symptoms include coughing, chest pain, weight loss and abdominal swelling. However, diagnosing Mesothelioma can often times prove difficult because its symptoms resemble those of several other types of illnesses. Alerting a physician to having a previous history of asbestos exposure is very helpful in making a prognosis. Depending on the stage of the disease, treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

There is compensation available if you or someone you know is suffering or has passed away due to Mesothelioma-related cancer. Even if the company responsible for the asbestos exposure is no longer in business, there have been funds set aside to pay damages to individuals or the families thereof. An online search for attorneys in the field of Mesothelioma lawsuits will help you locate assistance.

A Brief Overview On Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The disease attacks you in silence. The symptoms are latent. The sufferings are unbearable. And the ultimate is the dead end. You all know it as Mesothelioma. Even with the fast track advancement in the Medical Science Mesothelioma still remains incurable. There are treatments to assist you with to bear with the sufferings but untimely death cannot be avoided.

We are mainly aware of three types of Mesothelioma – pleural, peritoneal and pericardial. Among them the majority of the Mesothelioma patients suffers from Pleural Mesothelioma. Followed by the Pleural Mesothelioma is the numbers of the Peritoneal Mesothelioma and then the rare type Pericardial Mesothelioma comes into the picture.

In this article let’s concentrate more on the Peritoneal Mesothelioma and how does a person get infected by this disease.

The spread out

Like all other types of Mesothelioma, the Peritoneal Mesothelioma is also caused due to the inhalation of asbestos dust. In other words it is always stated that over exposure of the human body in an environment filled with asbestos fibers can become risky for life because the entry of the asbestos fibers in the body reacts with the Mesothelium cells and takes the cancerous shape.

The diagnosis

You will begin to face the problem with some abdominal pain. The peritoneal Mesothelioma is actually the cancerous attack on the abdominal cavity. Swelling of the region around the abdomen with gastric disorders and weight loss are the common symptoms. In many cases the loss of appetite has been found to be very dominating. But when all these start making troubles in your body there is a common tendency to put them off with general gastric and stomach disorders medicines.

The biggest problem with Peritoneal Mesothelioma is that the accurate diagnosis cannot be done at an early stage. Ultimately when the doctor is able to make it out that you are a victim of a lethal disease, all hopes of your survival have already come to an end.

The treatment

The final stage treatment cannot cure you but help you to reduce the pains and pangs in your body and resist any further damage. The doctors often prescribe chemotherapy. Surgical treatment is another common way to remove the tumors that grow around the abdominal cavity by damaging the Mesothelium layer. But this treatment is suggested by checking the patient’s condition whether he/she will be able to resist the surgical pains. Yet no complete treatment for total cure is possible.