why happens Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a disorder of a protective layer that covers plenty of of our internal organs. This protective layer is called as 'Mesothelium'. The mesothelial lining of organs secretes a oiling liquid which allows an simple movement of organs within the body.

Mesothelioma is found mostly in individuals who are exposed to asbestos for a continuously long time. It can take about 30-50 years to appear.

ORGANS INVOLVED:

Mesothelioma is in fact a rare disease. This disease became common in the work of the 20th century when asbestos was widely used in plenty of industries like shipyards, power plants, steel plants and refineries etc. Smoking is not the reason for mesothelioma affecting lungs, but it can increase the risk in individuals handling asbestos.

Mesothelioma can be benign or malignant. The most often involved organs include:

The pleura (surrounding the lungs),
The pericardium (surrounding the heart),
The peritoneum (surrounding the abdomen) and
The tunica vaginalis (surrounding the genitals)
BENIGN MESOTHELIOMA:

Most of such cases go asymptomatic for a extremely long time period. signs can arise due to enlargement of the tumor causing pressure on surrounding structures. In such cases, it can lead to:

This form mostly affects men than females. The area involved more often is the pleura of the lungs and chest cavity.

Surgical removal of this tumor is the treatment.

Cough,
Weight loss,
Shortness of breath and
Chest pain.
sometimes an X-ray performed for any other reason may pick up the finding for the first time. Diagnosis can be confirmed by the CT scan or lung biopsy.

It results from a long term exposure to asbestos. Like benign lesion, this one also goes un-noticed for a extremely long time period of about 20-30 years. three times the signs appear, they may include:

MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMA:

Chest pain,
Weight loss,
Cough,
simple fatigability,
Abdominal pain and
Shortness of breath.
Diagnosis may be confirmed by CT scan or lung or pleural biopsy like for benign tumor.

Unlike the benign lesion, malignant mesothelioma cannot be removed surgically unless diagnosed at  an early stage. Most of the times when it is diagnosed it is already  late. The only options thus left for treatment include chemotherapy or radiation. These do not cure the disease completely; they only help in reducing the signs.

CONCLUSION:

If it is left untreated, the average survival age drops to not over about nine months. But even after the treatment is started, the prognosis depends on the stage of the tumor, the individual's response to tumor and the general health condition of the patient.

Although rare, but it is a disease that can be avoided by avoiding exposure to asbestos. But those working in industries dealing with asbestos are at particular risk. Although such industries have their rules and regulations now according to which they provide compensation to such workers who get affected by this disease, yet three times diagnosed as a malignant lesion, it is not reversible.