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Mesothelioma Information

Whether recently diagnosed or simply researching the side effects of asbestos exposure, finding mesothelioma information can be overwhelming. The following sections cover frequently asked questions by pleural mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

What is pleural mesothelioma?

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the mesothelium, a protective membrane that lines the thoracic cavity. Approximately 75 percent of mesothelioma cases are pleural mesothelioma.

What causes pleural mesothelioma?

Exposure to asbestos is the leading cause of pleural mesothelioma. Research shows that more than 80 percent of pleural mesothelioma cases are directly caused by asbestos exposure. In many cases, such exposure has occurred during a previous employment.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was extensively used prior to the 1980s due to its natural ability to insulate and fireproof materials. Asbestos was incorporated into thousands of products used throughout a variety of industries, including the shipyard, construction, manufacturing, automotive and power plant industry.

How does pleural mesothelioma develop?

Pleural mesothelioma develops when asbestos fibers are inhaled into the body. Once inhaled, the microscopic fibers that make up asbestos can become lodged within the lining of the lungs, eventually causing inflammation. After enough time has passed, the inflammation can turn into tumors and respiratory problems may arise due to pleural thickening.

What are the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma?

Due to the long latency period associated with pleural mesothelioma symptoms, signs of the cancer do not typically begin to arise until 20 to 50 years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Symptoms are often very similar to other, less serious illnesses such as influenza and pneumonia and this can make receiving a diagnosis difficult. Patients with pleural mesothelioma may experience a persistent raspy cough, difficulty breathing and swallowing, night sweats, fatigue and chest pain.

How is mesothelioma diagnosed?

A mesothelioma diagnosis usually begins with a review of the patient’s medical history followed by a physical examination. Imaging tests such as a CT scan, PET scan or MRI are usually recommended for a more detailed image of the cancer. A doctor may request a biopsy depending on the location of the cancer. A biopsy is a procedure that collects small fluid samples that are then analyzed by a pathologist for the presence of cancerous cells.

What is the typical prognosis for a patient with pleural mesothelioma?

A pleural mesothelioma patient’s prognosis is affected by many different factors. Because a mesothelioma diagnosis typically occurs during the late stages of development, prognosis for most patients is usually poor. The earlier a patient is diagnosed and undergoes treatment, the better their prognosis may be. A patient’s prognosis is influenced by factors such as the type of mesothelioma, size of the tumor, location of the tumor and whether it can be surgically removed, age of the patient and the stage of a patient’s mesothelioma at the time of diagnosis.

Is there a cure for mesothelioma?

Although a mesothelioma cure does not currently exist, cancer specialists and doctors are hard at work to discover a cure through extensive studies and clinical trials. While not curative, palliative treatment options are still available to pleural mesothelioma patients wishing to combat the cancer and alleviate symptoms.

What treatment options are available to pleural mesothelioma patients?

Patients with pleural mesothelioma have a wide variety of treatment options available, including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. It is important to note that surgery is not always an option and that the stage of the cancer largely determines if surgery is a possibility. Chemotherapy involves the use of medication to target and kill cancerous cells.

Radiation therapy introduces ionized radiation to kill cancer cells and stimulate the growth of new cancerous cells. In some cases, patients will receive a combination of these treatments to combat their cancer.

Clinical trials testing new treatment options are also available for some patients. Clinical trials involving photodynamic therapy, gene therapy and immunotherapy have shown positive results in recent studies. Those wishing to undergo experimental treatments through clinical trials must first qualify as only patients with certain criteria can be admitted. This varies for each clinical trial.

Sources

1. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma