Mesothelioma Information

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The results of a recent medical study confirmed results from earlier studies demonstrating that the chemotherapy drug pemetrexed combined with either cisplatin or carboplatin showed promise as a treatment for previously untreated, inoperable pleural mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos.

Japan’s Environment Ministry reported on Monday that residents of Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture who lived there between the 1950s and the 1970s suffered a rate of mesothelioma–a rare cancer caused by asbestos–14 times higher than Japan’s national average. For women who lived around area factories that used asbestos, the rate of mesothelioma was an astounding 69

Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that is caused by exposure to Asbestos, The disease develops in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs.

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. It is connected mainly to those people who have worked with asbestos where dust and fibres have been inhaled . It can also affect those people that came into contact with the clothes of their family member maybe as they were washing them.

Symptoms of mesothelioma are shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal swelling and pain due to a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma but it may be a less serious conditions.

In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body. Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage.

The Diagnois of mesothelioma is often difficult as the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor may need to assess what stage the mesothelioma has reached to help plan treatment. For more information on mesothelioma please visit here.