Mesothelioma Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos Exposure and Related Disease
Asbestos has been in use from the 1800s, but industrialization led to its overuse from the 1940s to the 80's.

Asbestos particles when inhaled, lodge firmly into the lung tissues, causing disease over time.

Constant and prolonged exposure to asbestos leads to a variety of diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Of these, mesothelioma is the most fatal, always leading to death.

What is Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the membrane lining the lungs or abdomen. It is a rare cancer and is almost always caused due to asbestos inhalation.

Mesothelioma takes approximately 30 to 40 years to develop and show its effects. This is the reason why mesothelioma is seen in older patients, mostly male. It is one of the most fatal, aggressive and painful cancers.

Types of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is mostly restricted to the lungs, but in rare cases it also occurs in the peritoneum when inhaled asbestos fibers reach the stomach or bowel.

Mesothelioma is of two types - Pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma affects the pleura (lining of the lungs). Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the peritoneum (lining of the abdominal cavity).

Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Those suffering from mesothelioma will have one or more of the following symptoms.

-- Shortness of breath which keeps on increasing as the disease progresses
-- Extreme difficulty in breathing due to lung compression caused by the disease
-- Fluid surrounding the lungs
-- Unexplained fatigue
-- Constant pain in the chest which ranges from mild to severe
-- Traces of blood in the sputum
-- Unexplained sudden abdominal swelling and pain
-- Unexplained weight loss

Who is at Risk
Since mesothelioma takes approximately 30 to 40 years to develop and show its effects, persons being diagnosed today have been affected by asbestos exposure in the 60's and 70's.

Almost all these persons have had jobs involving asbestos and a prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers. Since there were no safety guidelines then, it is also possible that relatives and friends too are affected due to inhalation of these fibers from the clothing, skin and hair of these workers.

Following is a list of persons at maximum risk of mesothelioma.

-- Construction workers
-- Those involved in building renovation
-- Those involved in ship building
-- Those involved in ship breaking
-- Those involved in the manufacture of auto clutch and brake components
-- Those involved in repair and servicing of auto clutch and brake components

There is no firm evidence linking smoking to mesothelioma, as found in cases of lung cancer.

Diagnosing Mesothelioma
The presence of mesothelioma is usually diagnosed by doing a biopsy of the affected tissues. A trained pathologist does a definitive microscopic examination of the tissue to determine the rate of growth and virulence of the tumor.

After this, an X-ray or MRI scan will be required to locate the exact areas that are affected and possible treatment.

Is Asbestos related Mesothelioma Serious
Yes. Asbestos related mesothelioma is almost always fatal. By the time mesothelioma is diagnosed, in almost all the cases it would have spread to incurable levels. It is also noticed that mesothelioma is not as sensitive to radiation or chemotherapy as many other cancers are.

Bad news about mesothelioma is that in most cases when the disease is diagnosed, the patient lives an agonizingly painful life and will die in approximately 12 to 18 months.