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National Mesothelioma Center . Com
Mesothelioma Information and Treatments
The mesothelium is a sac that protects vital organs such as the lungs, heart and stomach. 'oma' is a medical term for tumor or cancer so cancer of the mesothelium is called mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma causes cells of the sac to become abnormal and malignant and around two-thirds of those with mesothelioma develop it in the pleural (lung) mesothelium - pleural mesothelioma.
The other third usually develop it in the abdomen but rarely mesothelioma can occur in other mesothelial tissue - for example, around the heart or in the reproductive organs.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma affects several thousand Americans every year and it is estimated that by 2030 there will be 300,000.
After a diagnosis of mesothelioma most people (around 75%) will die within a short time span - usually within 12 months - unless they receive treatment.
Death is usually produced by respiratory failure or pneumonia. A third of mesothelioma deaths are caused by a small obstruction of the bowel by an extension of a tumor through the diaphragm. Around ten per-cent of deaths are due to cardiac complications caused by the tumor invading the pericardium and heart.
What is the treatment?
Currently there is no cure for asbestos diseases and nor does there exist a universally accepted standard therapy.
The amount of time spent exposed to asbestos and the amount of asbestos inhaled usually dictates severity so removal from any source is the best prevention and might keep conditions from worsening.
As mesothelioma can take between twenty and fifty years to develop after exposure to asbestos regular monitoring can aid an early diagnosis.
Three mesothelioma sub-types have been identified: epithelial, sarcomatoid, and mixed types. Some studies have demonstrated that the epithelial type might have the most hopeful prognosis. Other favorable factors include early stage disease, younger age, good performance status and lack of chest pain.
People with pleural diseases including mesothelioma can relieve the build-up of fluid in their lungs by having them regularly drained.
There are three kinds of mesothelioma treatments: surgery, radiation and chemotherapy (multimodality). When used singly, the results are generally ineffectual so a collective approach might be followed as results using this method have shown some promise in mortality rates for some patients in the early stages of the disease.
Some asbestos disease sufferers might need oxygen apparatus to help them breathe. Asbestosis, for example, leads to a thickening of the bottom part of the lungs and consequently making them less supple and so causing breathing problems.
Need to talk about mesothelioma with a lawyer?
If you have any questions or would like to explore your legal rights about asbestos or mesothelioma with a lawyer please contact us by clicking here
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