Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer. It is caused by asbestos and forms on the protective tissues covering the lungs, abdomen and heart. Symptoms include coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath. Treatments combining surgery, radiation and chemotherapy improve survival and life expectancy.
It’s a disease that mostly affects people who worked with asbestos and products containing asbestos.
While there are treatments that control tumor growth, researchers have not found a definitive cure for the cancer.
Causes
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
The cancer develops when a person ingests asbestos, and it causes changes to a person’s DNA.
Our genes, which are made of DNA, control how cells grow, multiply and die. Changes in our genes may cause cells to divide out of control and may lead to cancer.
Development of Mesothelioma
1. A person inhales or swallows airborne asbestos fibers.
2. The asbestos fibers become lodged in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart.
3. The embedded fibers damage the mesothelial cells and cause inflammation.
4. Over time, tumors begin to form on the damaged mesothelium, which is the lining of the abdomen, lung, heart and testes.
Tumors also can be benign (noncancerous). But when tumors are cancerous, doctors call the disease malignant mesothelioma. It is often shortened to mesothelioma.
Symptoms
Common mesothelioma symptoms include:
=> Dry coughing
=> Shortness of breath
=> Respiratory complications
=> Pain in the chest or abdomen
=> Fever or night sweats
=> Pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs)
=> Fatigue
=> Weakness in the muscles
These mesothelioma symptoms usually do not show until tumors have grown and spread. Mesothelioma latency is 20-50 years. That’s how long it takes from initial exposure to accurate diagnosis. For that reason, many people with mesothelioma are in their 60s or 70s.
You should talk to a mesothelioma specialist soon if you have a history of asbestos exposure and experience these symptoms. An early diagnosis may improve your prognosis and life expectancy. (https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/)
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