Malignant Mesothelioma Causes, Symptoms, Cancer Types, Legal Help Options
What is Mesothelioma? What Causes mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is caused almost exclusively by the exposure to asbestosis, which is a chronic lung disease caused by scarring of lung tissue, which stems from the prolonged exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a set of naturally occurring silicate materials that is used for such applications as electrical insulation, building insulation, used to be quite commonly in ship building, so many times individuals would be exposed to asbestos, and not know it and could eventually potentially affect their family members as well when they would bring home their clothing that was exposed to this cancerous causing material.
Mesothelioma affects the thin protective layer that you have surrounding the lungs, heart and abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma isn’t a cancer that occurs overnight but rather over a long period of time. As previously mentioned it is mostly due to having an occupational exposure, such as in individuals that work on shipyards, auto shops, old houses, and can even be found in old houses or old buildings.
How does Malignant Mesothelioma cancer develop over time?
Malignant Mesothelioma cancer develops over times, sometimes decades. Once microscopic asbestos fibers are breathed and travels down to the lungs, over decades the fibers begin to cause some changes that result in inflammation and scarring the pleura of the lung. The fibers of the asbestos can also become trapped in the lining of the abdominal cavity as well. Now once the fibers have settled and begin to cause the biological damage this is when the Mesothelioma begins to develop and it can take a number of years before symptoms become apparent.
What are the different types of Mesothelioma?
There are various types of Mesothelioma, the most common one which usually represent most of the cases, is known as pleural Mesothelioma. Pleural Mesothelioma is the Mesothelioma that develops in the lining of the lungs. The second most common type of Mesothelioma is the peritoneal Mesothelioma, and this is the one that develops in the lining of the abdomen. The last variety of Mesothelioma is the pericardial Mesothelioma and this is the one that develops in the lining of the heart.
What are the symptoms for Mesothelioma?
There are varying symptoms depending on what type of Mesothelioma that you have. If you have the most common one, which is the Pleural Mesothelioma, commonly you can have symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, difficulty in swallowing, fatigue, night sweats and fever and shortness of breath. If it’s peritoneal Mesothelioma you may have all that’s listed above in addition to abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea and vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. If it’s pericardial Mesothelioma, then you may have irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and chest pain in addition to some of the other symptoms listed above.
How is Mesothelioma diagnosed?
Everyone may come to their diagnosis a little bit differently but the most important factors in accurately diagnosing Mesothelioma are imaging scans and also biopsies. The initial test that most doctors opt to using first is a basic Chest X ray that will usually check for any abnormalities. If the doctor happen to find any abnormal growth then that it when the they may recommend doing a more detailed study, like doing a PET scan, CT scan or even an MRI. Additionally, if Mesothelioma is suspected then this is when a biopsy of the tissue may be collected in order to confirm the presence of Mesothelioma cells.
What are the treatments for Mesothelioma?
Treatment options for Mesothelioma can include things like surgery, chemotherapy, and or radiation therapy. Many doctors do prefer to combine more than one therapy for better outcome, which is known as a multimodal therapy. The overall prognosis for Mesothelioma is mostly affected by the stage of the cancer. There are treatment options though for early and late stage patients that has been shown to improve prognosis.
Now that you Know what causes Mesothelioma – get Legal Help and Advice for Mesothelioma?
Many individuals unfortunately end up having Mesothelioma due to their history of having been exposed at some point or another to asbestos. There are many people who end up having Mesothelioma often have legal options that they are able to consider, some of which include filing a claim or a lawsuit against a company that they believe is responsible for the exposure that led them to their illness. Many companies because they know that they would have exposed their workers to asbestos at some point in time have set up trust funds to pay out claims to those people that were exposed while working. Therefore communicating with an experienced Mesothelioma lawyer does help patients and also their families understand what legal options they have that can help them cover cost and other damages that may happen due to their asbestos exposure leading them to having Mesothelioma.
Malignant Mesothelioma Causes, Symptoms. Have Mesothelioma? Get a Mesothelioma Lawyer.
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