Mesothelioma Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma Asbestos Exposure - One of the most common materials that were put to use for industrial purposes in the twentieth century was Asbestos. Unfortunately, Asbestos has also proven to be one of the most deadly industrial materials, because inhaling the fibers from asbestos can lead to a variety of different pulmonary issues and problems including asbestosis and asthma. Asbestos has also proven itself to be the direct cause for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma asbestos exposure is a dangerous thing. It can take years for the fibers from the asbestos to work their way into the membranes around your lungs, your heart and your abdominal cavity. After an extended presence of these asbestos fibers, fluid accumulation can be caused and tumor development becomes likely. The first symptoms that tend to be associated with mesothelioma asbestos exposure include shortness of breath and a persistent cough. Unfortunately, these symptoms are also associated with a number of common lung problems, and this can significantly delay the mesothelioma diagnosis, allowing the disease to progress.

Mesothelioma is a lethal form of cancer that primarily attacks the membranes located around the lungs, around the heart and within the abdominal cavity. The most common form of mesothelioma is mesothelioma cancer in the lungs. The most usual characteristic about mesothelioma asbestos exposure is that the diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer typically occurs several decades after the patient's initial exposure to the asbestos.

Most people with mesothelioma asbestos exposure have worked in professions where they regularly inhaled the asbestos particles, or they were exposed in some other way to the asbestos dust. Even simply washing the clothing of someone working with asbestos can be enough to put a person at risk for developing the mesothelioma cancer. Unlike with lung cancer, there is no association between smoking and the development of mesothelioma, however the risk of other asbestos induced cancers can be greatly increased by smoking.

There are a number of presenting symptoms that are associated with mesothelioma asbestos exposure, including shortness of breath that occurs as a result of pleural effusion or the existence of fluid between the chest wall and the lungs, pain in the chest wall and weight loss. The diagnosis of mesothelioma asbestos exposure usually begins by suspecting mesothelioma through a chest X-ray or a computerized tomography or CT scan. Doctors will confirm the mesothelioma diagnosis by performing a biopsy, which is a tissue sample, as well as a microscopic examination.

Biopsies can be taken by inserting a tube into the chest with a camera attached, a process known as a thoracoscopy. This allows for the introduction of certain substances in order to obliterate the pleural space, preventing the ability of more fluid to accumulate between the young and the chest wall. The prognosis for mesothelioma asbestos exposure carries a relatively poor prognosis despite being capable of being treated by chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Early detection of mesothelioma definitely plays a large role in determining how treatable the disease is.

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