A form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure
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Filed Under : Mesothelioma Articles,Mesothelioma cause,Mesothelioma Symptoms,Peritoneal Mesothelioma by admin
Dec.3,2010Mesothelioma is a type of cancer which is considered to be very rare. This type of cancer occurs in protective lining, which is responsible for covering internal organs of the body called Mesothelioma.
There are basically 3 types of Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma Stomach Symptoms
By Eric Morris
Stomach or abdominal symptoms are often experienced by patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of mesothelioma is a cancer of the peritoneal cells that line the abdomen. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are insidious and often tend to be confused for symptoms of more common, and often more benign, abdominal conditions. Peritoneal mesothelioma therefore may go undiagnosed until it is fairly advanced and resistant to treatment.
Phoyo: freemesotheliomaresource.com
Common abdominal symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. An abdominal lump or swelling may be present. Such a lump or swelling may obstruct the bowel, causing constipation. Fluid may collect in the abdominal cavity, causing distension and bloating. This collection of fluid in the abdominal cavity is called ascites, and is also seen in people with liver disease. The fluid is often drained to relieve symptoms of bloating and distension; excessive fluid collection may hamper normal breathing. The collection of fluid in the abdomen, and the pressure of a cancerous growth, may impede the return of blood flow from the legs, leading to swollen feet. Such swelling of the extremities is also seen in kidney disease and pregnancy.
Jan.19,2008Mesothelioma Prognosis Facts
By James Howell
Unfortunately, individuals suffering from mesothelioma (a form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure) have a rather poor prognosis. There is currently no cure for mesothelioma, and once the disease is discovered, patients usually only have a short time to live. Without treatment, mesothelioma is fatal within four to eight months. New forms of treatment are always being developed and tested, however, and there is evidence that the healthier a patient is at the time of diagnosis, the longer the life expectancy of the patient.
There are cases where patients receiving treatment have lived for as long as five or even ten years, but this is very rare. Even under treatment, most people survive less than one year, and often only a few months after receiving their mesothelioma diagnosis. According to recent studies, around 10% of victims live at least three years after their diagnosis, and 5% reach five years.
One of the reasons that the prognosis is so bad is that there is such a long period of time between a person’s exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma symptoms. It can take several decades before signs of mesothelioma begin to show up in a person. One study showed that when mesothelioma is caught and treated in its early stages, 50% of patients survived two years, and 20% reached five years, but unfortunately it is very difficult to discover the disease early on. The fact that the symptoms of mesothelioma are so easily confused with other illnesses further delays a correct mesothelioma diagnosis in many cases.
Find out more about Mesothelioma Prognosis.
Or learn more about Mesothelioma Cancer.
Dealing With Mesothelioma Pain
By Adia O’hara
Causes of Mesthelioma pain:
photo: maacenter.org
Treating mesothelioma pain:
Mesothelioma pain can be acute and chronic. With the advancement in cancer research, various new techniques for controlling and treating are developing, which do not have side effects on mesothelioma patients.
Mesthelioma treatment options:
With respect to traditional mesothelioma treatment options, locating the position of the cancer, the stage of the disease and age and general health of the patient is considered.
http://www.mesoblog.org/mesothelioma/mesothelioma-pain-management.php
About Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma – The Rarest Cancer
By Adia O’hara
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused predominantly by excessive exposure to asbestos, the other causes as yet unknown . Mesothelium is a protective lining on the internal organs on which malignant cells form. In most cases, pleura, the outer lining of lungs and chest cavity are affected. Mesothelioma on the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart) is also common.
photo: mesotheliomaweb.org
Mesothelioma is categorized broadly as: epithelial, sarcomatoid and biphasic (i.e. combination of epithelial and sarcomatoid)
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma:
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the rarest form of mesothelioma cancer, affecting only 10-20% of patients. In this, cells transform as spindle-shaped pattern that overlap each other and occurs from support tissues such as cartilage, muscle, bone and fat. Localized mesothelioma is when the cancer is only on the membrane surface. In advanced stages, it spreads beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.
Diagnosis of Sarcomatoid mesothelioma:
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma, usually diagnosed by extraction of affected tissue during biopsy, can be difficult because symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to those of other diseases. It also responds poorly to treatment, resulting in fatality within a year of diagnosis.
Symptoms of sarcomatoid mesothelioma:
Symptoms of mesothelioma can appear several decades after exposure to asbestos. The most common are pain due to fluid retention in the pleural area, cough and spinal swelling, weight loss and accumulation of fluid in abdominal cavity. Apart from these, blood clotting abnormality, anemia, and fever are common.
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