Basic Information of mesotheloma:

Mesotheloma is a rare form of cancer, which is almost always caused by long exposure to asbestos. In this, cancer (malignant) cells developed in mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of body’s internal organs, become abnormal and divide without control or order. Abnormal cells can invade and damage neighboring tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also spread (metastasize) from their original site to other parts of the body.

What are common sites?

Most common sites of mesotheloma include the pleura (outer covering of lungs), the peritoneum (covering of abdominal cavity), and the pericardium (covering of heart).

How you get mesotheloma?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesotheloma .Most of the times people who have worked on or near Asbestos factories, where they inhaled asbestos dust particles and fibers develop mesothelioma. Washing cloths of a family member who exposed to asbestos can also be a potential risk factor. However, mesothelioma has been reported in individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

How common is Mesothelioma?

Although mesotheloma is rare disorder, its incidence is increased in past 20 years. Around 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. The occurrence of mesothelioma is more in males then in females and its risk increases with age, but this disease seems to appear in either men or women at any age.

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?

Symptoms of mesotheloma only appears after 30-40 years of exposure to asbestos.

The main symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include shortness of breath, pain in the chest due to accumulation of fluid in the pleura (pleural effusion) and general symptoms such as weight loss.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesotheloma include weight loss, abdominal pain and abdominal swelling due to accumulation of fluid in abdomen (ascites).

How mesothelioma is diagnosed?

Diagnosis of mesotheloma is often difficult as symptoms are very similar to other respiratory diseases.

The diagnosis may be suspected with patient’s history, a complete physical examination and with chest X-ray, CT scan.

The diagnosis can be confirmed with biopsy and microscopic examination.

What is the prognosis for mesothelioma?

Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis.

Prognosis of Mesotheloma depends on how early it is diagnosed how aggressively it is treated.

How mesothelioma is treated?

Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of tumor, stage of tumor, patient’s age and general health of the patient.

Treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and combined treatment.

Are there new treatments and research for mesothelioma going on?

Yes, research about screening tests for early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

NCI (National cancer institute) is sponsoring clinical trials that are made to find new treatments and better way to use current treatments.

What are legal issues associated with mesothelioma?

Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesotheloma.

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Incidence of Mesothelioma:

Although incidence rates of mesothelioma have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. The incidence rate is approximately one per 1,000,000. The highest incidence is found in Britain, Australia and Belgium: 30 per 1,000,000 per year. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma currently ranges from about 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in industrialized nations.

Depending on exposure of asbestos during the past several decades, it has been estimated that incidence may have peaked at 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004. Incidence is expected to increase in other parts of the world. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but mesothelioma can appear in either men or women at any age. Approximately one fifth to one third of all mesotheliomas are peritoneal.

Between 1940 and 1979, approximately 27.5 million people were exposed to asbestos in US. Between 1973 and 1984, there has been a threefold increase in the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the death rate from mesothelioma in US increased from 2,000 per year to 3,000, with men four times more likely to get it than women. These rates may not be accurate, as it is possible that many cases of pleural mesothelioma are misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is very difficult to differentiate from mesothelioma.

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