Mesothelioma Your Basic Information

   A mesothelioma could be one of a variety of cancer that's becoming more common.

One of the causes of this cancer is exposure to asbestos. When constantly exposed to insufficient protection, asbestos dust and fibers affect the mesothelial cells which make up the mesothelium. The mesothelium tissue is that the outer lining that protects a number of the body’s most important organs equivalent to the center and lungs. The mesothelial cells become abnormal after lengthy periods of constant exposure to asbestos causing an array of problems.

Due to the stage and symptoms of this cancer, carcinoma is extremely tough to diagnose.Mesothelioma takes decades to mature and develop fully and this is why many elderly men who were exposed to asbestos thirty years before are just discovering they have cancer. A lot of these men are currently lodging multi-million dollar lawsuits against the companies that exposed them to the dangers of asbestos without sufficient protection.

The organs that are affected most by mesothelioma are the lungs. The most common type of mesothelioma which is called pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs and can cause symptoms such as coughing, breathing and swallowing difficulties, shortness of breath and fever. Another area that can be affected by mesothelioma is the abdomen. This is less common and this is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. Symptoms of mesothelioma includes nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fever, bowel obstruction, and loss of appetite and general pain in the stomach area. The last and least common type of mesothelioma is known as pericardial mesothelioma and it affects the heart and the tissue surrounding it. Symptoms of this form of cancer include palpitations, breathing difficulties and persistent coughing. Generally, the symptoms of mesothelioma are typical of many other diseases and this makes it very difficult to diagnose.