Mesothelioma: Patients Of Asbestos Illnesses

Mesothelioma Definition

Mesothelioma victims are people with a type of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, causing asbestos illnesses. Mesothelioma develops mostly in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs, within the pleura lining of the lungs and chest wall, and it can also occur in the abdominal cavity.

Asbestos illnesses which has proven to result in a wide range of health conditions, including mesothelioma, develops from on-the-job hazards where workers have inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in one way or another.

It has even been said that children hugging a parent who just arrived from work - parents who work around asbestos materials-can be put at the risk of developing mesothelioma.  It has also been suggested that washing the clothes of a family member who works with asbestos makes one at risk of getting an asbestos related illnes. And smoking can greatly increase the risk of other asbestos related cancer.

Symptoms Exhibited By Mesothelioma Victims

Mesothelioma is often diagnosed in its later stage of development, and because of this, treatments for mesothelioma victims becomes complicated and the survival chances can become slimmer.

The latency period experienced by mesothelioma victims, which may span twenty years or more will eventually lead to the following symptoms:

• Severe and racking cough
• Pain in the chest which is due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of weight
• Weakness and fatigue

Shortness of breath, a persistent cough, and pain in the chest is due to accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma exhibited by mesothelioma victims.

Asbestos illnesses that affects the pleura exhibits the following symptoms:

• Chest wall pain
• Pleural effusion where fluid accumulates around the lungs
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Anaemia
• Wheezing cough and hoarseness.
• Coughing up blood

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Victims may experience a collapse of the lungs referred to as pneumothorax,  and the disease more likely than not, might spread to other parts of the internal body.

In very severe cases, tumour masses may develop. Unfortunately these tumours may not signal warnings until a much later stage. The symptoms of tumours associated with asbestos illnessesinclude:

• Pain in the abdominal area
• Weight loss
• Bowel dysfunction
• Abdominal mass or multiple masses
• A build-up of fluid in the abdomen referred to as ascites.

And the mesothelioma may metastasize thus  spreading to some other parts of the body. However, mesothelioma rarely spreads to the bone, the adrenal glands or the brain.

In severe cases of mesothelioma, victims may experience the following signs and symptoms:

• Thrombosis - blood clots in the veins and this may result in thrombophlebitis
• Bleeding in multiple organs - disseminated intravascular coagulation
• Jaundice
• Low level of sugar in the blood
• Pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lung)
• Blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
• Severe ascites - a build-up of fluid in the abdomen

Because of the latency period associated with this asbestos illnesses, diagnosis for mesothelioma victims is quite difficult.

The symptoms have many similarities with many other conditions, so the best way of approach is a check on the victim's medical history.

During the diagnosis, a history of an exposure to asbestos materials, fibre or dust must be determined and if this is found to have occurred, mesothelioma might be suspected.

Mesothelioma diagnosis and examinations must include lung function tests and of course a chest x-ray. A CAT (CT scan) or MRI is usually carried out.

The x-ray will show pleural thickening, and this happens with asbestos exposure and is a close indication of mesothelioma.

With an MRI, if an amount of fluid is detected, it can be aspirated and checked for abnormal cells.

If no cancerous cells are found, it may be an indication of tuberculosis or another ailment, but mesothelioma presence may not be ruled out.

While there is currently no cure available for asbestos illnesses, there are treatments available. The types of treatments available for mesothelioma victims include:

• Radiation
• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Gene Therapy
• Intra-operative Photodynamic Therapy

Recent studies show that using just a single one of the above listed mesothelioma treatment options may be insufficient for mesothelioma victims.

For malignant mesothelioma victims, a single form of treatment has failed to improve patients survival rates. A combination of treatments does increase a patient's survival rate.

A follow up of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments after surgery is a good example of a combined approach to treatments. This is referred to as the multi-modality approach, or an approach using many forms of treatment.

Mesothelioma victims may also use traditional and unconventional treatments such as alternative medicine and other forms of therapy for asbestos illnesses.

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• Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Treating Asbestosis Mesothelioma

While there is currently no cure available for asbestosis mesothelioma, there are mesothelioma treatment options available to make life more bearable for the victims of asbestos illnesses.

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