Pleural Mesothelioma is a cancerous condition that develops in the outer linings around the lungs and inside the chest wall. Exposure to asbestos has been cited as the main cause for the development of this cancer. Early detection of the disease helps in treatment, but there still remains no known cure.
This disease is a rare type of cancer that attacks tissue that is called mesothelium. Mesothelium is protective tissue that covers many of the bodies internal organs. The most common area where the cancer will develop is in the pleura area. This area is located between the lungs and the chest wall.
There is a significant time period that can pass before a person starts to develop symptoms. This period can extend upwards of fifty years after the initial exposure to asbestos happened. For some people this could be second hand exposure if they lived in the same household as someone who worked with asbestos. The first symptom the most people notice is that they cannot breath as well as they once could due to fluid building up in their chest cavity.
As the disease progresses other symptoms can start to appear. These include coughing, fatigue, hoarseness, anemia, and chest wall pain. Unfortunately, there are many other causes for these kind of symptoms that are much less serious and often allow the person to believe they are not gravely ill.
There are methods being developed that will allow early detection of this cancer. However, even when detected early in the development of the disease, there is little chance of being cured. Chemotherapy has proven to be a more effective approach to treatment than radical surgery in the early stages.
Some people have lived for over five years after receiving the diagnosis that they have developed pleural mesothelioma. For most people though, life expectancy is usually very limited once the cancer has taken affect. However, this remains a rare form of cancer and the chances of developing it are limited.
This disease is a rare type of cancer that attacks tissue that is called mesothelium. Mesothelium is protective tissue that covers many of the bodies internal organs. The most common area where the cancer will develop is in the pleura area. This area is located between the lungs and the chest wall.
There is a significant time period that can pass before a person starts to develop symptoms. This period can extend upwards of fifty years after the initial exposure to asbestos happened. For some people this could be second hand exposure if they lived in the same household as someone who worked with asbestos. The first symptom the most people notice is that they cannot breath as well as they once could due to fluid building up in their chest cavity.
As the disease progresses other symptoms can start to appear. These include coughing, fatigue, hoarseness, anemia, and chest wall pain. Unfortunately, there are many other causes for these kind of symptoms that are much less serious and often allow the person to believe they are not gravely ill.
There are methods being developed that will allow early detection of this cancer. However, even when detected early in the development of the disease, there is little chance of being cured. Chemotherapy has proven to be a more effective approach to treatment than radical surgery in the early stages.
Some people have lived for over five years after receiving the diagnosis that they have developed pleural mesothelioma. For most people though, life expectancy is usually very limited once the cancer has taken affect. However, this remains a rare form of cancer and the chances of developing it are limited.
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