Description, Sign and Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Description

Before recognizing furthermore of mesothelioma we better know the mesothelioma description and asbestosis. The Mesothelioma description is a cancer that develops within the mesothelium of the body. Or there are some expert says : Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).

The mesothelium is the protective covering in the body. It covers various organs, including the lungs. The mesothelium is made up of two thin layers. When cancer develops in the mesothelium it is between these layers. The narrow space makes it very difficult to diagnose mesothelioma in the early stages. Mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to treat. Once a diagnosis of mesothelioma is made, the majority of patients will not live longer than eighteen months. There are a variety of reasons for this, including the advanced nature of the disease once it is diagnosed and the lack of an effective

While most cases of mesothelioma occur around the lungs, it can also occur in the abdominal mesothelium, called the peritoneum, or the pericardium. While mesothelioma is most common in the lungs, it is important to differentiate between mesothelioma and lung cancer. They are two very different types of cancer and require different types of treatment.

Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
Chest wall pain, pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung, shortness of breath, fatigue or anemia, wheezing, hoarseness, or cough, blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage.
Symptoms include:
Abdominal pain, ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen, a mass in the abdomen, problems with bowel function, weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:
Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs, jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin, low blood sugar level, pleural effusion, pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs and severe ascites

A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.