MAIN TITLE Asbestos
Article Title What is Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer which in most cases is almost certainly caused by exposure to asbestos. The complaint affects on average 1 in 1,000,000 people although the highest incidences are found in Britain, Belgium and Australia with incidences of 30 in 1,000,000. The biggest problem in proving the cause is that the complaint often does not manifest itself for 20 to 30 years after the initial exposure. Most people percieve asbestos related diseases as affecting the lungs but the naming of the complaint is basically because the complaint affects the mesothelium which is a protective membrane which covers most of the body’s internal organs. The most common area for mesothelioma to develop is the outer lining of the lungs or the internal chest walls which is basically why mesothelioma is percieved as a lung disease. The disease can also manifest itself in the heart or the lining of the abdominal cavity. In severe cases the patient can experience multiple tumours.
It is not only people who have been exposed to asbestos at work who are at risk of developing mesothelioma but their friends and families are also at risk as it was possible for these individuals to carry asbestos fibres home on their clothes and introduce these fibres into the home or social environment.
Of the many different types of mesothelioma there are various symptoms and these are :-
Pleural Mesothelioma
This affects the lining of the lungs and the internal chest wall.
Shortness of breath, wheezing and hoarseness.
Fluid on the lung often coughing up blood.
Chest Pain
Tierdness.
Anemia.
Abdominal Mesothelioma
This affects the abdominal cavity
Abdominal pain
Bowel problems
A mass in the abdomen
Weight loss
The treatment of Mesothelioma is not particularly successful using current technologies with most patients who contract the disease being given typically 6 - 12 months to live. There are various treatments some invasive and some not
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