The Three Forms Of Mesothelioma

The Three Forms Of Mesothelioma
By Joseph Devine

It seems that every other week there is a new area that is susceptible to Mesothelioma due to unrealized asbestos exposure. Last week it was asbestos fibers in toys. Who knows what it will be next week? In all of this, no one stops to consider that there are three different forms of the disease. As with all versions of cancer, some of the types of Mesothelioma are more severe or deadly than others. The three known types are Pleural, Peritoneal, and Pericardial. Their names basically derive from the area where the cancer is located.

Pleural Mesothelioma is caused by the formation of malignant tumors in the pleura. The pleura are the tissues that line the lungs and the chest cavity. In this form, fluid builds up between the lining or pleura and the lungs. When this happens, patients experience shortness of breath. That common indicator makes sense because if there is excessive fluid in the chest cavity, the lungs cannot expand properly. The shortness of breath is called pleural effusion. The symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma often resemble pneumonia and other less serious afflictions. For this reason it is important to tell a doctor if you have been exposed to asbestos.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma involves tumors and cancer developing in the lining of the abdominal cavity. This version occurs much less frequently than the Pleural variety but is still common enough. The symptoms include weight loss, abdominal swelling and pain, bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, and fever.

The third form of Mesothelioma is Pericardial. This form occurs in the pericardium which is the compartment in the chest that contains the heart and the roots of the major artery and vein systems. The symptoms of the Pericardial form are very similar to those of Pleural Mesothelioma as well as many less serious diseases. The main symptoms of Pericardial Mesothelioma are a constant cough, shortness of breath, chest pains, and palpitations. These same symptoms can show up in conjunction with any range of heart and lung issues.

All three of the forms of Mesothelioma are mainly caused by exposure to asbestos. While it occasionally pops up after no asbestos has been inhaled, the majority of cases (roughly 99%) are linked to exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a fiber that gets into the lungs. It is common in a variety of industries and was a popular fire retardant material used to insulate buildings. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell when one is exposed to asbestos whether or not that same exposure will lead to Mesothelioma. Also, the disease generally takes decades to appear.

Pleural Mesothelioma is by far the most commonly occurring form of the deadly cancer. Like other cancers, Mesothelioma is capable of spreading from its original site to other parts of the body. It is particularly easy for the Pleural and Pericardial forms to spread because of the amount of blood flowing through the areas that they afflict. It only takes a few cells to take root elsewhere for the cancer to spread.

Fortunately, sometimes the infected areas can be removed from the body via surgery. The chemotherapy drugs that are in existence to treat the disease have not been shown to eradicate the problem so much as delay its progress. While this may not sound like a lot, delaying the progression of the disease can improve the quality of life of the patient which is all that can really be asked for in cases that are inoperable. With treatment, the general lifespan after diagnosis is roughly 18 months; however, some people have been known to live for four years. Without treatment, people generally have roughly four months to live.

While OSHA has made great strides in controlling the exposure and use of asbestos, it is still not a perfect system as sometimes people are not aware of a possible risk of exposure or even the presence of asbestos. For this reason, it is important for people that work in industry and construction (particularly those that re-model older buildings) learn all that they can about asbestos and Mesothelioma.