Friday, January 29, 2010

Some Facts On Mesothelioma Disease And How It Can Be Conquered Or Prevented

By Heidi Wingrain

Mesothelioma is a potential killer disease which mankind is facing these days. The cancer which is commonly known as mesothelioma disease is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers for prolonged period of time. In many cases, the patients do not survive for more than two years after diagnosis. The symptoms of the disease appear very late making it almost impossible for a timely detection and effective treatment.

Asbestos, which is a naturally occurring mineral, is widely used in industries for many purposes. Once inhaled the fibers settle in the mesothelium, which is a protective membrane that covers the important internal organs. This makes the cells to divide unnaturally resulting in the production of excess fluid. The side walls get thickened due to this extra fluid as a result of which the proper functioning of the organs is hampered.

Depending on the area of occurrence mesothelioma disease is divided into three. The pleural mesothelioma affects the lung cavities, the peritoneal attacks the abdominal cavities and the pericardial impairs the cavities of the heart. The pericardial is found to the most dangerous one among the three.

At the present time, there is no complete cure for mesothelioma disease. But life span can be increased a little further with traditional therapies like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The late diagnosis due to the delayed appearance of symptoms greatly influences the treatment procedure from being cent percent effective. In most of the cases the symptoms appear as the cancer reaches the final stages. If the diagnosis happens early, by any means there is possibility that the disease can be removed and the patient enjoys a healthy long life.

It is therefore very important that everyone, who had worked in asbestos-based factories, asbestos pits and family members of such employees to undergo periodical checkups. The usual symptoms are breathing problems and related illnesses like cough, fever etc. Being a rarity, all cancer centers are not manned or equipped to diagnose and cure mesothelioma disease. The patient should approach only those physicians who exclusively deal with the disease, which would greatly help in timely and accurate diagnose, which would be followed by aggressive treatment to root out the cancer.

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