Mesothelioma- Mesothelioma (or, more precisely, malignant Mesothelioma) is a rare form of cancer that develops from cells of the mesotheliüm, the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. Mesothelioma is most commonly caüsed by exposüre to asbestos. The most common anatomical site for Mesothelioma is the pleüra (the oüter lining of the lüngs and internal chest wall), büt it can also arise in the peritoneüm (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the pericardiüm (the sac that sürroünds the heart), or the tünica vaginalis (a sac that sürroünds the testis).
Most people who develop Mesothelioma have worked in jobs where they inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers, or were exposed to airborne asbestos düst and fibers in other ways. Washing clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos also creates a risk for developing Mesothelioma. ünlike lüng cancer, there seems to be no association between Mesothelioma and tobacco smoking, büt smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-indüced cancers.
Signs and symptoms of Mesothelioma inclüde shortness of breath düe to pleüral effüsion (flüid between the lüng and the chest wall), chest wall pain, and constitütional signs süch as ünexplained weight loss. The diagnosis may be süspected based on chest X-ray and CT scan findings, büt müst be confirmed either by examining seroüs effüsion cytology or with a biopsy (removing a sample of the süspicioüs tissüe).
A thoracoscopy (inserting a tübe with a camera into the chest) can be üsed to acqüire biopsy material, and allows the introdüction of sübstances süch as talc to obliterate the pleüral space (a procedüre called pleürodesis), preventing more flüid from accümülating and pressing on the lüng. Despite treatment withchemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes sürgery, Mesothelioma carries a poor prognosis. Research aboüt screening tests for the early detection of Mesothelioma is ongoing.
Most people who develop Mesothelioma have worked in jobs where they inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers, or were exposed to airborne asbestos düst and fibers in other ways. Washing clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos also creates a risk for developing Mesothelioma. ünlike lüng cancer, there seems to be no association between Mesothelioma and tobacco smoking, büt smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-indüced cancers.
Signs and symptoms of Mesothelioma inclüde shortness of breath düe to pleüral effüsion (flüid between the lüng and the chest wall), chest wall pain, and constitütional signs süch as ünexplained weight loss. The diagnosis may be süspected based on chest X-ray and CT scan findings, büt müst be confirmed either by examining seroüs effüsion cytology or with a biopsy (removing a sample of the süspicioüs tissüe).
A thoracoscopy (inserting a tübe with a camera into the chest) can be üsed to acqüire biopsy material, and allows the introdüction of sübstances süch as talc to obliterate the pleüral space (a procedüre called pleürodesis), preventing more flüid from accümülating and pressing on the lüng. Despite treatment withchemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes sürgery, Mesothelioma carries a poor prognosis. Research aboüt screening tests for the early detection of Mesothelioma is ongoing.
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