Author Nik: SallyClapper
Name: Sally Clapper
When diagnosed with one of the three types of mesothelioma (pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial), the treating physician or oncologist will first try to establish the stage of the cancer. Knowing the stage of cancer gives information about tumor size and location.
A rare and aggressive cancer, mesothelioma is often resistant to conventional treatments, which usually include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, or a combination of one or more of these. Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos, when inhaled or ingested, becomes lodged in the thin membranes surrounding the lungs (pleura), heart (pericardium), or abdomen (peritoneum).
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer primarily caused by exposure to asbestos. Because of this, malignant mesothelioma can also be referred to as asbestos cancer or “meso.”
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to asbestos. When asbestos is inhaled or ingested into the body, tumors can form in the mesothelial cells that line the chest, heart and abdominal cavities.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that arises in the mesothelium, or thin lining on the surface of the lung (pleura), abdominal (peritoneum) or heart (pericardium) cavities. Malignant mesothelioma is strongly linked with exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma is an uncommon malignancy caused primarily by exposure to asbestos. Millions of people in the United States alone have been exposed to asbestos and are in danger of developing malignant mesothelioma. The number of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma is expected to continue to rise until 2020. In undeveloped countries where the use of asbestos has not been banned, the rate of asbestos-related disease will climb higher and for much longer.
Mesothelioma is a rare (uncommon) form of cancer that affects the lining around the chest, abdominal or heart cavities. Mesothelioma is primarily linked with exposure to asbestos. Most often, exposure occurs occupationally where asbestos is inhaled or ingested. Exposure can also occur to family members and in other ways, such as in the home, school or environment.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most schools constructed before the mid-1980′s were built with asbestos-containing products. Until the use of asbestos became highly regulated, materials such as roofing shingles, adhesives, floor and ceiling tiles, wall paper, cement pipes and insulation commonly contained asbestos. When disturbed, asbestos can release fibers into the air and create a health hazard. This is particularly true when asbestos is considered to be in “friable” condition, meaning that when it is dry asbestos is able to be reduced to dust or powder by hand.
The Clinical Trials Department of FirstHealth of the Carolinas has partnered with Wake Forest School of Medicine in a research study to investigate the causes and factors related to mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital serves 15 counties in North Carolina as a not for profit acute care hospital and referral center. Wake Forest Baptist offers over 200 clinical trials and is one of the leading medical centers in the nation focusing on cancer research and treatment.
Asbestos, known for its thermal and insulating properties, was once widely used in many industrial and construction materials. The carcinogenic nature of asbestos was not discovered until years later. Serious diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancers, began to develop in employees and the public decades after exposure. Mesothelioma, the most serious illness, is an incurable cancer that begins when asbestos fibers lodge in the membranes of vital organs. Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause for mesothelioma.