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| Mesothelioma | A Wisdom Archive on Mesothelioma |  | Mesothelioma A selection of articles related to Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body
The classification has two axes: International Classification of Diseases for Oncology - Morphology. The morphology axis is for the morphology of the tumor. This axis has additional importance, because the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine has adopted ICD-O's classification of morphology
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| Archives on Mesothelioma | | | | FAQ Mesothelioma
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer (malignancy) that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum).
How do you get mesothelioma?
Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Others have been exposed to asbestos in a household environment, often without knowing it.
How much exposure does it take to get mesothelioma?
An exposure of as little as one or two months can result in mesothelioma 30 or 40 years later.
How long does it take after exposure for mesothelioma to show up?
People exposed in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma because of the long latency period of asbestos disease.
How is mesothelioma diagnosed?
Mesothelioma is diagnosed by pathological examination from a biopsy. Tissue is removed, placed under the microscope, and a pathologist makes a definitive diagnosis, and issues a pathology report. This is the end of a process that usually begins with symptoms that send most people to the doctor: a fluid build-up around the lungs (pleural effusions), shortness of breath, pain in the chest, or pain or swelling in the abdomen. The doctor may order an x-ray or CT scan of the chest or abdomen. If further examination is warranted, the following tests may be done:
* Thoracoscopy
For pleural mesothelioma the doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope. A cut will be made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope will be put into the chest between two ribs. This test is usually done in a hospital with a local anesthetic or painkiller.
If fluid has collected in your chest, your doctor may drain the fluid out of your body by putting a needle into your chest and use gentle suction to remove the fluid. This is called thoracentesis.
* Peritoneoscopy
For peritoneal mesothelioma the doctor may also look inside the abdomen with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. The peritoneoscope is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is usually done in the hospital under a local anesthetic.
If fluid has collected in your abdomen, your doctor may drain the fluid out of your body by putting a needle into your abdomen and using gentle suction to remove the fluid. This process is called paracentesis.
* Biopsy
If abnormal tissue is found, the doctor will need to cut out a small piece and have it looked at under a microscope. This is usually done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy, but can be done during surgery.
What is the prognosis for mesothelioma?
Like most cancers, the prognosis for this disease often depends on how early it is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options (Traditional & New Treatments Being Studied)
Treatment options are often determined by the stage of mesothelioma a patient is in. There are three staging systems currently in use and each one measures somewhat different variables.
The oldest staging system and the one most often used is the Butchart System which is based mainly on the extent of primary tumor mass and divides mesotheliomas into four stages.
The more recent TNM system considers variables of tumor in mass and spread, lymph node involvement, and metastasis.
The Brigham System is the latest system and stages mesothelioma according to resectability (the ability to surgically remove) and lymph node involvement.
Traditional care
There are three traditional kinds of treatment for patients with malignant mesothelioma:
* Surgery (taking out the cancer)
* Radiation Therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)
* Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)
NOTE: Often two or more of these are combined in the course of treatment.
Source: http://www.medicinenet.com
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| | ARTICLES RELATED TO Mesothelioma | |
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More material related to Mesothelioma can be found here:
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Related ArticlesMesothelioma Symptoms and Tests for MesotheliomaMesothelioma symptoms are progressively slow and take years to surface. Early medical testing to confirm the etymology of mesothelioma symptoms can add years on to your life, and can even offer you salvation from a normally fatal disease. If you’ve been exposed to asbestos and are experiencing mesothelioma symptoms, notify your doctor of any asbestos exposure and monitor your symptoms from their onset. Mesothelioma Mesomark Blood TestMesothelioma Mesomark Test Signifies the Beginning of a New Era in Monitoring Mesothelioma Malignancies. as the First In-vitro Test for Patients With This Aggressive Disease, it Will Enable Doctors to More Accurately Detect Recurrence and Monitor Treatment of Patients. Steps To Surviving MesotheliomaDetermining where to go after the diagnosis of Mesothelioma can be about as conflicting as how it happened to you in the first place. Getting a Mesothelioma DiagnosisWhen a person gets a mesothelioma diagnosis, he or she is understandably upset and confused.
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