mesothelioma- Causes Diagnosis Treatment

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a particularly aggressive form of cancer, and it is often deadly. Indeed, as the Mayo Clinic explains, while patients can receive certain treatments for mesothelioma, it is often impossible to cure this disease.

Some people are diagnosed with a noncancerous condition that sounds like malignant mesothelioma. As the Mayo Clinic clarifies, a condition known as “benign mesothelioma” (also described sometimes as a solitary fibrous tumor) is not the same thing as the cancer that I have been discussing above.

 Rather, this noncancerous condition is one in which a tumor occurs in the chest, and it does not have a lot to do with malignant mesothelioma.Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that’s most commonly found in the lining of the lungs or abdomen, but it can also start in the lining of the heart or testicles in rare cases.

Mesothelioma is most common in men ages 45 to 85. 

Typically, it occurs in those who’ve been exposed to asbestos, a fibrous mineral used in construction and manufacturing until it was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989. But not everyone who’s been exposed to asbestos will get mesothelioma.

What are the causes of mesothelioma?

Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma. When asbestos travel to various parts of the body, it results in different types of mesothelioma cancer disease .

Smoking is not one of the known mesothelioma causes, but a history of tobacco use can increase the risk of someone who has been exposed to one of the other mesothelioma-causing carcinogens.

The most common cause of this cancer is breathing in asbestos. Asbestos is a material that used to be popular for insulation and is still used in some products today.

Asbestos fibers are not visible to the naked eye. When inhaled, these fibers stick to the lung's linings. Over time, these fibers cause scarring and damage to the lungs, which can result in mesothelioma or other types of lung cancer.

People who have spent a long time with or had repeated exposure to asbestos have a greater chance of these fibers building up in their lungs.

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma may not be seen until 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of pleura malignant mesothelioma, the most common type, include:

• Difficulty breathing, pain in the chest or both
• Hoarseness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Coughing up of blood
• Dry cough or wheezing.
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Respiratory complications.
• Pain in the chest or abdomen.
• Fever or night sweats.
• Pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs)
• Fatigue.
• Muscle weakness.

If cancer cells are growing in the abdomen, you may notice an increase in your waist size or pain in that part of your body.

Diagnosis of mesothelioma?

Diagnosis of mesothelioma usually begins with a physical exam. During the exam, the doctor will pay special attention to the patient's symptoms as well as how much contact they have had with asbestos. After the exam, the doctor will conduct tests to determine the cancer's stage.

Chest X-rays and CT scans provide an image of what is going on inside the lungs and chest. Diagnostic tests are the key way to identify and diagnose mesothelioma. The three most common types of types include imaging scans, blood tests and tissue biopsies. Doctors will typically start with imaging scans, as they are the least invasive, and follow up with additional tests if they are warranted based on the patient’s condition.These images can show if fluid has begun to build up in the chest or lungs and show if the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. CT scans can help determine the stage of cancer.

Treatment for mesothelioma?

Surgery to Try to Remove Mesothelioma

A surgeon may try to remove all of the visible cancer if you are in otherwise good health and your mesothelioma has not spread too far from the original site. This type of surgery is being done in some major cancer centers and has resulted in long remissions for a small number of people. However, even when a surgeon removes all of the cancer he or she sees, residual cancer cells can grow and divide, causing the cancer to return.

Surgery by Mesothelioma Type

Mesothelioma is classified by where it starts in the body. The location of a tumor can play a role in determining what type of surgery options, if any, are available to you. Unfortunately, with all types of mesothelioma, by the time you consider surgery, the tumors often have spread too far for a surgeon to remove them completely.

Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses powerful drugs to stop cancer cells from growing, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Doctors often combine chemotherapy with other treatments, such as surgery and radiation therapy, but the drug can also act as the primary form of treatment for patients who either opt out of surgery or are not good candidates for it.

Types of Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Drugs

Doctors choose from several chemotherapy drugs to treat mesothelioma, including:

• Pemetrexed (Alimta®).
• Cisplatin.
• Carboplatin.
• Gemcitabine (Gemzar®).

• Methotrexate.
• Vinorelbine.
• Mitomycin.
• Doxorubicin (Adriamycin®).

Your mesothelioma care team may use a combination of two or more anticancer drugs. This is called combination chemotherapy. Some patients, however, may not be able to tolerate more than one drug.