Mesothelioma Information - Mesothelioma Symptoms, Asbestos
Mesothelioma Information
Malignant mesothelioma is a somewhat rare type of cancer that is caused as a result of asbestos exposure. Malignant mesothelioma causes cancerous growths to develop on the mesothelial tissue lining of the three of the body’s largest cavities: the pleura (lung cavity), the peritoneum (abdominal cavity) and the pericardium (heart sac).
A case of mesothelioma is typed based on the section of mesothelial tissue that is affected:
- Pleural mesothelioma affects the pleura.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the peritoneum.
- Pericardial mesothelioma affects the pericardium.
Pleural mesothelioma is often confused with asbestos lung cancer. Although pleural mesothelioma can lead to the development of a secondary lung cancer, it is not a type of lung cancer itself.
Mesothelioma Symptoms
Mesothelioma symptoms vary dependent on the type of mesothelioma that one suffers from. The most common presenting symptom is chronic chest pain associated with a buildup of fluid inside the pleural space. This can be attributed to the fact that pleural mesothelioma is the most common type, accounting for an approximate 75% of all documented cases.
Mesothelioma Treatments
Mesothelioma treatment options have had no success in containing the deadly disease. Broken into two categories (traditional mesothelioma treatments and new mesothelioma treatments), mesothelioma treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), immunotherapy and gene therapy.
The development of new chemotherapy agents is viewed to have the most potential for dealing with malignant mesothelioma in the short-term. Drugs such as Alimta, Veglin and Onconase are undergoing mesothelioma clinical trials to determine their applications in treating the deadly cancer.