What is asbestos?

 
What is asbestos? 

Asbestos is the term used for a naturally occurring mineral that resembles a rock in its natural form. The rock is then split into fibers, which are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals. These natural properties made it a popular commercial product used indiscriminately in the United States until the late 1970s. The fibers once woven into fine thread can become brittle and can then float in the air, where they can be inhaled, land on and stick to clothing, and found on exposed surfaces of a person's body who has been exposed to these fibers. 

Can mesothelioma be prevented?

 Can mesothelioma be prevented? 


Avoiding exposure to asbestos is the best way to prevent the development of mesothelioma. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency responsible for developing safety regulations for workers who come into contact with asbestos. Employers are required to follow these regulations and to ensure that their workers have adequate education about safety and the use of protective equipment.

What causes mesothelioma?

We know that exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma. This has been proven in the research laboratory, as well as in animal experiments and in studies of exposed human beings. Recently researchers at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City reviewed the autopsies of 2,015 patients who died between 1883 and 1910. This review did not reveal any cases of tumors that resembled mesothelioma, apparently due to the fact that asbestos was not in generalized use during this period of time. This adds to the mounting evidence that asbestos is a key factor in the development of this disease. 

What are the risk factors, or who gets mesothelioma?

What are the risk factors, or who gets mesothelioma? 

Anyone can get mesothelioma; it occurs across all races and genders and is found in young and old alike. The dominating risk factor in developing mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. The risk is greatly increased in people who have had repeated exposure to asbestos for prolonged periods of time. The majority of people who develop this disease can trace their exposure back to jobs where they encountered asbestos. Thirty percent of all mesothelioma patients are navy veterans having been exposed in the boiler room of the ships or working in the shipyards. Other highrisk professions include brake repair workers, construction workers, those who worked with or manufactured insulation materials, and people who work in asbestos abatement (removal of asbestos). 

We often talk of "secondhand" exposure, which would affect those who came into contact with mesothelioma through asbestos fibers brought home on workers' clothing and equipment. Many people are exposed at home, schools, or office buildings during renovation projects.

What are the pleura?

What are the pleura?

In pleural mesothelioma the initial site of disease is most often the pleura, an important thin membrane that lines the inside of the chest wall (parietal pleura), or the visceral pleura, which lines the lungs. The pleura is a sheetlike lining formed by rectangular cells called mesothelial cells, and is usually not more than a few layers thick. If unaffected by disease, it is comparable in thickness to that of a blown-up balloon membrane. There are two pleuras in the chest. The parietal pleura lines the inside of the chest wall like wallpaper, covering not only the inside of the ribs but also the diaphragm and pericardium. 

Are there different types of mesothelioma?

Are there different types of mesothelioma? 

Looking under the microscope, the pathologist is able to distinguish three distinct types of mesothelioma based on the appearance of the cells. The majority of mesothelioma is of the epithelial type, which, under the microscope, resembles adenocarcinoma cells (like those found in lung cancer). 

Mesothelioma symptoms

Mesothelioma symptoms 

In its early stages, mesothelioma does not have many symptoms. When symptoms do develop, they are often caused by the cancer growing and pressing on a nerve or other body organ.
The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are pain in the lower back or the side of the chest, a persistent cough, shortness of breath, a hoarse or husky voice, losing more than 10% of your weight when not dieting, difficulty swallowing, sweating and high temperatures.
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are pain in the abdomen (tummy), swelling in the abdomen, feeling or being sick, poor appetite, losing more than 10% of your weight when not dieting, diarrhoea or constipation.

All of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by some other illness, rather than by mesothelioma. But if you have these symptoms, see your doctor. This is particularly important if you have been exposed to asbestos in the past. 

What is mesothelioma?

1. What is mesothelioma? 

 

Image source: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, origi-nates in many of the protective linings that cover major organs in the abdomen and chest There are approxi-mately 3,500 people diagnosed each year in the United States. Pleural mesothelioma, the mom common type of mesothelioma grows in the pleural space (the area between the chest wall and lung) and then progresses to the lung itself and other areas in the thoracic (chest) cavity. When it occurs in the abdomen, it is referred to as peritoneal mesothelioma and approximately 300 patients are diagnosed with this yearly in the United States. Other rare sites of occurrence include the peri-cardium (lining of the heart) and tunica vaginalis (lining membrane of the testicles), or scrotal lining.