Tuesday, January 19, 2010

What Is Lung Mesothelioma And How Is It Treated

By Heidi Wingrain

Lung mesothelioma is a lethal medical situation arising from the infection of mesothelium by asbestos fibers. It is a rare form of cancer that affects people who had been in continuous contact with asbestos, either at homes or workplace. Medical science describes the disease as a rare cancerous growth affecting the mesothelial tissues that surrounds our vital organs as a protective cover. Three different types of this cancer, the pleural, peritoneal and pericardial, have been identified and named according to the areas they inhabit.

Mesothelium is a protective membrane found around vital organs like abdomen, lungs and heart. It helps in proper functioning of the organs too, albeit indirectly. Asbestos particles, after entering this lining, cause abnormal cell function, causing cancerous growths. In most incidents, it takes decades for the disease to show up and this prolonged latency is a limiting and disruptive factor affecting diagnosis and treatment.

Lung cancer and lung mesothelioma are totally different types of cancers with the former affecting the inside of the lung while the latter inhibits its protective covering called mesothelioma. The outcome of the disease is so far not too happy and many of the affected die within 24 months after diagnosis. Like all cancers, mesothelioma is also divided into four categories according to its severity. Many patients have been treated successfully due to timely detection, but in most cases detection occurs only too late for hope.

Exposure to asbestos is the villain in the case. The silicate mineral was considered a wonder material earlier due to its multifaceted properties like resistance to heat and electric shock, capability to withstand chemical reactions etc and was used to manufacture a wide range of products like insulation products, construction material etc. But workers who inhaled the toxic air containing asbestos suffered and are suffering the adverse erects of asbestos exposure.

Therefore, efforts are on presently to adopt enough precautionary measures to prevent future infection and also to provide succor to the already affected persons by way of mesothelioma compensation. Additionally, scientists are laboring hard to find more effective cures to lung mesothelioma, which could not be provided by the existing therapies so far.

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