How Is Mesothelioma Acquired?
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer than
affects individuals who have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos fibers are
extremely dangerous and can pose major risks for anyone who comes into contact
with them.
Asbestos has been used for years in many
different products, especially construction and insulation. Although the risks
were not well known in its earlier use, it is now a common topic with a vast
amount of information available about it. Even so, many companies are still
using this toxic material in trace amount in different products.
Once asbestos fibers are released into
the air, they can either be inhaled or ingested by a human. At this point, the
fibers can travel to any one of the main linings of the body. The pleura is a
lining that surrounds and protects the lungs. If the asbestos fibers travel and
lodge into this lining, a person will develop pleural mesothelioma. The
peritoneum is a lining that surrounds and protects the abdominal cavity. If
asbestos is ingested and travels to this delicate covering of the abdominal
viscera, peritoneal mesothelioma will begin to develop. Finally, the third type
of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma. This cancer results when asbestos
fibers lodge in the pericardium, or protective covering of the heart. Once the
fibrous pieces of asbestos travel to any one of these major linings, they will
become lodged and begin to produce carcinogenic scar tissue. At that point,
mesothelioma is well on its way to causing numerous health problems.
The dormancy period of all types of
mesothelioma is extremely long. This means that the time from exposure to the
fibers until the appearance of symptoms can be anywhere from twenty to fifty
years long. This fact makes treating mesothelioma extremely challenging because
the cancer has normally progressed too far by the time of discovery. Also, the
symptoms that come with each type of mesothelioma are similar to the symptoms
that other major illnesses and diseases have as well. Most time, mesothelioma
is misdiagnosed due to these symptom similarities. For example, pleural
mesothelioma may cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, exercise
intolerance and chest pain. These symptoms are the same symptoms that many
major respiratory diseases cause as well. Chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, asthmatic bronchitis and emphysema all carry the same symptoms as
pleural mesothelioma.
In any case, it is important to find a
reputable oncologist that specializes in mesothelioma and the challenges that
it brings with it. By doing this, the oncologist and patient can develop a
treatment game plan and begin to fight this horrible cancer.
Lyn Giguere specializes in asbesto exposure news.
She writes on various subjects of Mesothelioma cancer educating victims on how
to find a Dallas Mesothelioma lawyer.