Pleural Mesothelioma And Its Symptoms

October 23rd, 2009 by Heidi Wingrain Leave a reply »

Inhaling asbestos filled air for longer durations result in a kind of cancer, which is called Mesothelioma. It is mainly classified into three categories. The most common among these is pleural mesothelioma and it is responsible for majority of the cases reported. In pleural mesothelioma, the protective membrane of our internal organs called mesothelium gets covered with the malicious loose asbestos fibers. This gradually damages the cells and affects its functioning. Mainly this type of cancer affects pleura, the protective lining around lungs and internal chest wall.

The pleura consists of one which covers the chest wall called parietal pleura and another which covers the lungs known as visceral pleura. The easy expansion and contraction of lungs is possible because of a fluid present between these two linings. Asbestos which is inhaled enters into the minute passages of the lungs and then the pleura. The consequence is the formation of cancerous cells, due to a chemical reaction which the medical world still cannot explain. The pleura lining becomes thicker and thicker as the cells start dividing unnaturally. Excess fluid also gets accumulated. Breathing process is reduced by the thickening of the pleura resulting in breathlessness.

The first symptom of is of course shortness of breath. Chest pain, weight loss and night sweats follow. The seriousness of the disease is directly related to the number of years a person was exposed to asbestos. The first visible symptoms may come forth only many years after he was exposed to asbestos particles. An added disadvantage here is that physicians may wrongly diagnose the problem, thereby compounding its seriousness. It is advisable that if a person with a history of working with asbestos feels any of these symptoms, he may contact a mesothelioma doctor immediately and get diagnosed properly.

Traditional treatments like surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy have limited success against pleural mesothelioma. There are five different surgical treatments followed, namely, pleorodesis, pleurectomy, decortication, pneumonectomy and extra pneumonectomy.

Chemotherapy is the widely accepted medicated treatment. Usage of high energy gamma rays, X-rays or neutrons is involved in radiation therapy. Other options like intra-operative photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy are also resorted. In any case the final success will depend on the determination of the patient and the level of pleural mesothelioma infection.

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