Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2017

In honor of Mesothelioma awareness day, today, September 26th, I thought I'd dedicate my post to my grandfather who was affected by this disease. He ended up passing from this disease when I was a little girl. I didn't understand Mesothelioma at first so I thought I'd share what I do know with you.  Here are some facts you should know

The word mesothelioma may not be familiar to most people, of course it is a big word and it is not an everyday word. But would there be any one who has not heard about cancer?

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that occur within the layers of cells that line the internal organs, these organ lining isknown as mesothelium. The term mesothelioma is derived from ‘mesothelium’ which is the tissue that line the stomach, heart, lungs, liver and other organs. The mesothelium serves as a protective cover for most of these internal organs.

Mesothelioma can also be called the tumor of the tissue. When it is cancerous, it is called malignant mesothelioma, and just mesothelioma when it is not malignant. It is a rare but serious disease.

CAUSES

There are quite a number of causes for this condition, but the leading cause of mesothelioma is prolonged exposure to asbestos. It has been shown by the interaction with patients that each one that has been diagnosed with the disease has come in contact with asbestos at some point.  Results from the medical laboratories have shown that the inhalation of tiny asbestos fibers, is the precursor for the chain of processes, both physical and metabolic, that lead to the condition. The mouth and the nose are the two paths of entry of mesothelioma causing particles.

TYPES

In general terms, there are three types of mesothelioma

Pleura Mesothelioma.  This is the most common form of the disease and statistics have shown that it around 70% of mesothelioma a cases are of the pleura type. It is called Pleura because it occurs in the lining of the lungs known as the pleura.

Pericardial Mesothelioma. This form of the disease is not too common it occur in the pericardium, this is the lining covering the heart.

Peritoneal mesothelioma. This is also a less common form of the disease, it occurs in the peritoneum, which is the abdominal lining.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

• Shortness of breath.

• Uneventful weight loss

• Pains around the chest wall or abdominal region

• Fever

• Night sweating

• Constipation or vomiting.

• Fatigue

• Wheezing or coughing

TREATMENT

Once the disease has been diagnosed, a patient has a number of treatment options which include:

• Surgery 

• Radiation

• Chemotherapy

FACTS

• In March 2009, the International Agency for Researchon Cancer, confirmed that exposure to asbestos is the leading cause of mesothelioma and all other forms of asbestos cause the disease.

• Signs and symptoms may not appear until 20 – 30 years after exposure.

• The disease does not spread to other parts of the body, like bones or the brain.

• The duration of exposure to asbestos which could cause mesothelioma can be short, one to four months in some cases.

PREVENTION: the disease can be prevented by limiting exposure to asbestos and asbestos containing material, if your spouse is asbestos, run away, but if its just a name, please hold on tight.

For more info about Mesothelioma click here.