Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma

Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma

Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma - With asbestos exposure mesothelioma risk increases greatly due to the carcinogenic substances found in asbestos. During the 20th century, asbestos was a cheap and frequently used industrial material implemented as insulation to help protect buildings and machines from fire, overheating or chemical erosion. Years later, sometimes decades later, when individuals who worked around asbestos began to fall ill with serious lung problems such as asthma and a condition called asbestosis which leads to mesothelioma, doctors soon realized it was due to asbestos exposure.

When someone has been subjected to asbestos exposure mesothelioma usually begins affecting them some years later. Mesothelioma is basically a form of lung cancer that infiltrates membranes around the heart, stomach and lungs, eventually causing symptoms such as persistent coughing, breathing difficulties, chest pain and possible abdominal swelling. Treatment for each individual patient is tailored to best accommodate the severity of the cancer and patients general health. As a rule, mesothelioma treatments consist of radiation, surgery, chemotherapy or a combination of these remedies.

Although mesothelioma is often referred to as a kind of lung cancer, it actually is not quite the same in cell structure as typical lung cancer, which strikes the deep interior of the lung. Mesothelioma attacks the lungs lining instead, making it rarer than most lung cancers. This lining–called mesothelium–becomes a magnet for cancer cells which accumulate and develop into tumors. If not detected in time, these tumors will metastasize throughout the lymphatic system and spread quickly.

Currently, cancer researchers are investigating new and more aggressive treatment plans for those suffering from mesothelioma. During the past few decades, as more is becoming known about the cancer cells involved in the development of mesothelioma, improvements in pharmaceutical medications and chemotherapy regimens are being implemented to enhance the outlook of those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

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