What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a very big and hard to pronounce word, much like most medical ailments, but it really is just lung cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure.

Asbestos can be found in many buildings built in the middle to the later part of the 20^th century, 1960s, '70s and '80s, and may be in a lot of the buildings that you visit on a daily basis.

In mesothelioma, malignant cells develop in a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs, also known as the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a necessary part of the body as it contains many of the vital organs and it produces a lubricating fluid that helps the movement of these organs, including the heart and lungs, go smoothly.

The most common spot for mesothelioma to form is in the lining covering the lungs and the chest, the pleura, but it is also common in the lining surrounding the chest cavity, the peritoneum, or the lining surrounding the heart, the pericardium.

These cells become abnormal and they divide without control from the body nor in any set order or pattern. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. It is also possible for such cells to move from their original location to another part of the body and attack the tissues and organs they come into contact with their. This practice of cell movement is called metasizing.

To get mesothelioma you need to have been exposed to asbestos for a very prolonged period of time. Just going into a place with asbestos and breathing it in for a short amount of time will not result in getting sick. Most of the people who have mesothelioma worked in buildings that had asbestos for many, many years. Construction workers who either installed, removed or worked in spaces with asbestos are the leading group of people who have been diagnosed. Breathing in asbestos dust is the main way to get sick.

There has been no connection found between mesothelioma and smoking, unlike other forms of lung cancer.

Mesothelioma rates have increased over the past 20 years. This is probably due to two factors. One being the renovation of old buildings that had asbestos and the second is that cases may be being caught at an increasing rate with the increase in medical technology.

With mesothelioma symptoms may not be visible until 30 to 50 years after exposure. Symptoms include shortness of breath and pain in the chest that is attributed to fluid collecting in the lungs. Other symptoms could include rapid weight loss, blood clotting, swelling in the abdomen, anemia and fever. Mesothelioma is very dangerous and deadly and must be dealt with immediately.

If you have possibly been exposed to any area that may have had asbestos and you are experiencing these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. If you do have mesothelioma you may also want to contact a mesothelioma lawyer.