What is Mesothelioma?

Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which a rare form of cancer cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium).

How do you get Mesothelioma?

For people with malignant mesothelioma, many if not most have worked at locations where they came in contact with asbestos - either through air-borne particulate or direct-to-skin contact - usually in a work-related situation. Some people not ever having been near it in a working environment have been exposed to asbestos in a household environment.

In many cases those working in a 'physical labor' type of job have had the most exposure to asbestos. This can include bricklayers, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, welders, insulators, shipyard workers, plasterers,

How much exposure does it take to get the disease?

An exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later.

Exposure timeframe...

To our knowledge, the first exposures occurred in the 1940's. This continued in different areas up through the 1950's to 1970's. Many people are just now being diagnosed with mesothelioma due to the long time period that it takes for asbestos disease to manifest itself.

Symptoms...

Mesothelioma can manifest as 3 specific forms:

Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung (pleura).

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum)

Pericardial mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining surrounding the heart (pericardium).

There are also sub-types of mesothelioma that are epithelioid. These skin-related forms are the most common and thus, considered the most treatable.

A far more aggressive form of mesothelioma is known as Sarcomatous and is a combination of other cell types.

Because of the nature of how this disease develops, the early symptoms are often not very specific. That' is why is it crucial for anyone suspecting they have this disease to consider past areas of possible asbestos contact. Some symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include bowel blockage, anemia or nausea. Less common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include night sweats, fever, or even weight-loss.

Some people experience shortness of breath while others may experience chest pain with or without a persistent cough. Some people may get fluid build-up in the lungs or chest cavity. As you can tell, from this brief overview, it is critical to get a professional diagnosis if you have had extended contact with asbestos products and suspect any of the above symptoms to be mesothelioma related.

The Diagnostic Process...

Although your physician may be your first point of contact, the real diagnosis begins and ends with the pathologist(s) doing the actual analysis. The scientific study of cells, tissue, or fluid is called Pathology. Normally samples are taken from the body as part of diagnosing mesothelioma. Usually a hospital will have a pathology lab with board-certified pathologists and licensed technologists.

The course of treatment is dependent upon an accurate diagnostic results, so the importance of pathological diagnosis can not be underestimated.

When making their diagnosis, pathologists examine the sample tissue under a microscope. They make a determination of benign vs. malignant cells based on pre-established medical and health criteria. Through this process the type of cancer is identified.

A small number of pathologists have trained in subspecialties. Since the majority of pathologists have a more general experience and training of a variety of diseases, it is more ideal to find a lab with mesothelioma experience - preferably ongoing. One of the first questions you should ask is whether the hospital or lab that is evaluating your testing samples has this experience or not. Due to the life-threatening severity of this illness, you should not trust this analysis to those who are experienced dealing with it.

Mesothelioma prognosis...

As with many types of cancer, the prognosis for mesothelioma is often dependant on how early it is detected followed by how actively one treats or reverses it. If you feel you may have been exposed to a health risk that could produce mesothelioma, you should see your doctor for more information and diagnosis.

Mesothelioma research - drug treatments...

There are various cancer centers around the U.S. performing mesothelioma research - as well a number of pharmaceutical companies. We will be adding more info on clinical trials in the future.

Of critical importance to us is finding natural ways of combating this illness. It is created by a chemical substance and we would like to think it can be handled by dealing with it as such. Our interest is not in 'treating' the illness so much as it is in 'reversing' the illness. So expect our focus to be on solving the problem without a drug 'treatment', as is our attitude toward all heath solutions in general.

Mesothelioma resources and related info...

Luckily the web is the ultimate research tool for learning more about all types of subjects - mesothelioma, included. As you may have noticed, we have already placed Google search links in and around the content of these pages so you have instant starting points for more info. Stayed tuned to this site as we will be adding more specific mesothelioma-related content throughout the coming weeks and months.

For more info, visit our Mesothelioma blog.