Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer – The Connection
Mesothelioma
A form of cancer – Mesothelioma – is caused due to inhalation of asbestos. It is so called because it is a cancer affecting the mesothelium or the mesothelial cells, which forms the outer lining of the abdomen and the lungs. A cancer that is not very common, it is a slow progressing cancer.
It is seen that mesothelioma is slow progressing but the flip side to it is that the symptoms of the cancer starts showing very late – a stage where it is difficult to cure it. Pleural Mesothelioma – a very painful and fatal kind of cancer is seen to be caused due to asbestos inhalation.
People Most At Risk For Mesothelioma
It is seen that people who have maximum contact with asbestos and who are exposed to it, are the people who develop mesothelioma.
- Construction workers who have been exposed to asbestos at some point of time or the other for a prolonged duration. Although asbestos has been banned in construction materials but the workers who have been exposed to it at a time when asbestos formed a vital part of construction are at high risk.
- Workers in the field of ship building and breaking and also automobile mechanics are high-risk people.
- Workers who are in the field of bringing down old buildings are also at risk as asbestos form an important part of these structures.
- Exposure to asbestos and smoking as well tends to increase the risk-involved manifold.
- The family members of workers exposed to asbestos are also at a risk as they handle the clothes of the workers and thus come in direct contact with asbestos on a regular basis.
- People living close to asbestos mine are also at high risk.
It is seen that mesothelioma is seen in older people. This is due to the fact that this type of cancer takes many years (about 30-40 years) to develop after you have been exposed to asbestos. It is predominantly seen in males.
Diagnosis of Mesothelioma
Diagnosis of mesothelioma involves the following stages:
- Biopsy is the first stage in the diagnosis, which is done to confirm mesothelioma. It involves a microscopic study of the tissue by experts in the field so as to determine the severity of the cancer.
- An X-ray or an MRI may be the next stage for locating the affected area.
Once it is diagnosed and the affected areas are determined the doctor would be in a position to decide on the course of treatment to be followed.
Treatment
Any one of the below mentioned courses of treatment may be followed for treating pleural mesothelioma:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation for destroying the cancer cells
- Surgery for removal of the tissues that are affected.
The course of treatment chosen would depend on the spread and intensity of the disease. In case of surgery being the chosen course of treatment, then it may involve removal of the lung completely or partly or only a part of the chest lining may be removed. All this and the treatment as a whole would depend upon the cancer and its severity.
Classification of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma can be categorised into three types namely,
- Peritoneal Mesothelioma
- Pericardial Mesothelioma
- Pleural Mesothelioma
Peritonal mesothelioma is a condition that affects the peritoneum or the membrane around the abdomen. Pericardial mesothelioma is a condition that is seen very rarely and in this case it is the pericardium or the lining of the heart cavity that is affected.
Pleural mesothelioma also known as “asbestos lung cancer” affects the pleura or the lining of the lungs. It is caused due to asbestos fibres getting deposited in the lungs due to prolonged exposure. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of cancer caused due to exposure to asbestos. Approximately 80% of cases of mesothelioma belong to the category of pleural mesothelioma.
The symptoms of Pleural mesothelioma may start showing after a very long time only and thus, a cure for it is may not be possible due to the time that has already gone by when it went undetected.
Pleural Mesothelioma symptoms
The below mentioned symptoms may be present in a person suffering from Pleural Mesothelioma:
- Excess fluid in the lungs
- Breathing difficulty that only worsens with time.
- Constant chest pain
- Fatigue
- Blood in the sputum
- Weight loss that is sudden and cannot be attributed to any particular reason.