What is mesothelioma ?

Mesothelioma 
 
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer most commonly caused by asbestos exposure. Only about 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, making it an uncommon form of cancer, but for the thousands of people who suffer with the disease, it is aggressive and deadly. What makes mesothelioma especially tragic is that it is preventable. If you have received a mesothelioma diagnosis, it is important to understand the illness, your treatments options, and the many forms of support available to you.
How mesothelioma forms
Mesothelioma takes years to develop. You may have been exposed to asbestos thirty to fifty years before you actually develop symptoms. Most people are over 60 before they know they have the disease.
Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor caused by asbestos exposure. It is a tumor that can form in the sac-like structure surrounding the lungs called the pleura or in the similar structures surrounding the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum, or the heart, the pericardium, and can even result in a more rare type of malignancy called tunica vaginalis.

Mesothelioma is the result of cell mutation that causes malignant cell growth. The tumor grows in diffuse patterns and spreads across the surface of the sac covering the particular organ, such as the pleura which surrounds the lungs. This tumor does not present in the form of a lump or a “golf ball” shaped tumor. Malignant mesothelioma causes serious symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath.



Asbestos

Asbestos fibers are the widely accepted cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos was a very low cost material with many applications because of its heat resistance and insulating properties as well as its bonding qualities and strength. Low cost and its many uses often made it the choice for production of insulation materials, gaskets and packing, component parts of all kinds of equipment and a wide variety of building materials. It was used widely until the late 1970s and unfortunately continued to be utilized in many products into the 1980s and 1990s in the United States.
Mesothelioma can be caused by low doses of exposure to visible asbestos dust. And even family members who have never worked with asbestos can develop mesothelioma second-hand because someone brought fibers home on their clothing.