Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is associated with exposure to asbestos the mineral that occurs naturally. The disease usually develops for years after exposure.
Doctors treat mesothelioma with chemotherapy radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Treatment can help patients live longer.
There are three kinds of mesothelioma. The type of cancerous cell is responsible for the tumor and its stage affects prognosis.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma, a form of cancer, develops in the mesothelium thin layer of tissue covers organs within the body. It is caused by exposure to asbestos which is a group of fibrous minerals.
The exposure to asbestos typically occurs when people inhale or swallow stray asbestos fibers. These asbestos particles cling to the lining of organs and can cause irritation, leading to tumors. The diagnosis of mesothelioma could be made by doctors after they look at the tumors and obtain a tissue sample, also called biopsy. Mesothelioma is classified according to the kind of cells are located in the tumors. The three types are epithelial, sarcomatoid and biphasic mesothelioma. Epithelial mesothelioma is by far the most common form and accounts for 50 percent of all diagnoses. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma makes up 10% of cases and has a poorer prognosis than epithelial mesothelioma. albuquerque mesothelioma law firm has a mixture of epithelial as well as sarcomatoid cells, and is responsible for 30 to 40% of all diagnoses.
Mesothelioma symptoms include chest pain, abdominal pain and breathing difficulties. These symptoms are similar to those of other conditions, so it is important to see a doctor if you have these symptoms.
Treatment for mesothelioma may reduce symptoms, slow tumor growth and make it easier for patients to live longer. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Palliative care is accessible to patients, which helps alleviate discomfort and pain.
Doctors continue to study ways to treat mesothelioma and how it spreads. New treatments include immunotherapy which utilizes your body's immune system to fight cancer. This experimental treatment has proven effective in a number of mesothelioma cases. Patients can also take part in clinical trials, which are research studies of new treatments. Patients with mesothelioma tend to be treated in cancer centers that have doctors who treat the condition.
Diagnosis
A mesothelioma diagnosis can be the first step towards receiving treatment that can prolong your life span. Your doctors will begin by examining your symptoms and health history and then determining the kind of mesothelioma that you have. This is important since the three main mesothelioma cancer cells respond differently to treatment.
The first test that your doctor might order is an X-ray chest scan or CT scan. During the procedure, you'll be lying on a table while the X-ray machine or CT scan produces a precise image of your chest and surrounding organs. A small dose of dye, typically iodine, is usually given before the procedure. This makes the tissues in your chest or abdomen lighter and makes it easier to be able to. During this period, you might be asked to do a breathing test.
If these tests show the possibility of a cancerous tumor or mass your doctor will likely take an examination for biopsy. A biopsy is the removal of an area of tissue from the mass or tumor through surgery or by inserting an needle into the region. The specimen is then examined under a microscope, looking for mesothelioma tumor cells.
In certain cases, our specialists use ultrasound to identify lymph nodes with enlarged lymphatic vessels that could be mesothelioma. This procedure is known as endobronchial Ultrasonography-guided needle biopsy or EBNA. The procedure is performed as an outpatient procedure, meaning you can return home the same day.
A mesothelioma specialist must also know your stage of the cancer. The stages are determined based on how the cancer has spread and what kind of mesothelioma is present. A mesothelioma doctor can provide you with a reliable diagnosis to ensure that you receive the correct treatment.
Treatment
The treatment plan of mesothelioma patients is determined by the severity of their disease and their general health. Patients suffering from mesothelioma typically receive multimodal treatment, which can include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.
The first step in treating mesothelioma is physical examination and advising your doctor about any asbestos exposure you may have experienced in the past. Doctors will also order images and blood tests to check for mesothelioma, and rule out other conditions. These include CT (computerized Tomography) scans, MRI (magnetic-resonance imaging) scans FDG-PET scans (fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography) and mediastinoscopy.
The majority of mesothelioma cases that are pleural can be treated with surgery. A patient may undergo a minimally-invasive procedure known as video-assisted surgery (VAT) or a CT-guided needle biopsy. Both surgeries can alleviate symptoms and increase the patient's life expectancy.
Chemotherapy, a treatment, utilizes drugs to eliminate cancerous cells and stop them from growing. It is a standard mesothelioma treatment that can prolong survival. It is available in intravenous (IV) drip or in pill form.
Radiation is another mesothelioma therapy which can kill cancerous cells and shrink tumors. It is used to treat pleural cancer at different stages, as well as to relieve pain and prolong the lives of patients.
In the late stages of mesothelioma treatment doctors concentrate on reducing symptoms to prolong the life span of a patient as long as is possible. Palliative care is a term used to describe the goal of this kind of treatment. While the mesothelioma-related survival rate is very low but there are a lot of survivors. For instance paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, who was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 1982, remained alive for 20 years before he died from complications of another illness.
Symptoms
A lot of people with mesothelioma suffer symptoms for months or years before they are diagnosed. The initial symptoms are similar to those experienced by other conditions and it is easy to overlook or misinterpret them for minor ailments. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is crucial to see your doctor immediately.
The organs of your body are surrounded by mesothelium, which is a layer of skin. This layer keeps them from colliding. Mesothelioma can affect the mesothelium cell which form the lining of many of your organs. The majority of cases of mesothelioma occur in the lining surrounding the lungs, but it could also occur in the lining of your heart (pericardium) or abdomen (peritoneum) and in the lining around your testicles (tunica vaginalis).
The earliest symptoms of mesothelioma can be breathlessness, chest pain and fatigue. Mesothelioma can also cause fluid accumulation in the chest wall or lungs that can lead to an pleural effusion. A pleural effusion could put pressure on lungs, making coughing difficult and difficult breathing.
Doctors diagnose mesothelioma following a thorough medical exam and taking the patient's medical history. They may ask for chest X-rays which can reveal signs of abnormalities such as thickening of the lung lining or fluid buildup in the chest wall. They may also request an MRI, CT scan or PET scan to get an in-depth look at the lung or other tissues of your body. They can also flush any fluid that collects in the pleura or peritoneum using an ultrasound-guided needle aspiration procedure.
A biopsy can assist in determining the type of mesothelioma that is forming the tumor and how it is growing. This will allow doctors to determine the most effective treatment options. The three main mesothelioma treatment options are radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy.
Prevention
Mesothelioma is not preventable, however you can reduce the risk by avoiding individuals who are exposed to asbestos and avoiding them. Exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer, as well as other diseases that affect the lining of specific organs. There are many kinds of mesothelioma and some are more severe than others. Certain types are more straightforward to treat than others.
Asbestos is made up of a group minerals with microscopic fibers. It was utilized in industrial and construction materials by manufacturers who were not aware of the risks. Veterans and blue-collar workers were especially exposed to asbestos. Asbestos has been found to be dangerous and you shouldn't be living in an old factory or work there.
Consult your physician about regular screenings, especially if you have any previous history of asbestos exposure. X-rays, CT or MRI scanners can identify problems in your abdomen or lungs. A biopsy can reveal a tumor on the stomach lining or chest. Doctors can test tissue samples from this area to determine if you have mesothelioma. You could have pleural msothelioma which affects your lung's membrane. Other kinds include peritoneal melanoma, pericardial mesothelioma or testicular mesothelioma.
After exposure to asbestos, it can take many years before mesothelioma is diagnosed. Even if it does, it can be hard to diagnose. It is often mistakenly diagnosed as a condition or illness such as lung cancer, pneumonia or bronchitis. This can prevent you getting the correct treatment. Researchers are trying to improve diagnosis and develop tests that can detect mesothelioma earlier. This could lead better treatments and a better survival rate. Genetic testing is used to determine the people most likely to develop the disease.