Malignant Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of a patients Mesothelium (internal organs).
Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer. Mesothelioma cancer treatments are available, but for many patients with Mesothelioma, a cure is not possible.
Mesothelioma Symptoms Can Include:
- Abdominal Pain & Swelling
- Bowel Obstruction
- Blood Clotting
- Chest Pain Under Rib Cage
- Chronic Cough (Can be wet or dry cough)
- Difficulty Breathing
- Difficulty Swallowing
- Fluid in the Lungs
- Lumps of Tissue in the Abdomen
- Painful When Coughing
- Shortness of Breath
- Unexplained Weight Loss
Quick Facts About Mesothelioma
- About 3,500 people are diagnosed with Mesothelioma each year in U. S.
- Mesothelioma cancer occurs in patients between the ages of 55-75.
- The 3 main treatments for malignant Mesothelioma are chemotherapy, radiation & surgery.
- 75% of Mesothelioma cases are attributed to males over age of 65 (American Cancer Society).
- About 90% of Mesothelioma patients reported shortness of breath as their first cancer symptom.
- Epithelioid Mesothelioma cell type is the most responsive to Mesothelioma treatments.
- Mesothelioma has a long latency period of 10-50 years.
Mesothelioma tumors are most likely to develop in the lining surrounding a patients lungs or abdomen.
Clinical trials may recruit patients diagnosed with malignant Mesothelioma patients.
Mesothelioma Treatment is based on a patients specific type of Mesothelioma including the microscopic cells that make up the cancer.
What Causes Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos materials and products. Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly type of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, stomach (abdomen), and heart sac. When a person breaths, inhales, or ingests microscopic asbestos fibers they can stay dormant in the body for 10-50 years before manifesting cancer symptoms.
Who is Most Likely to Get Mesothelioma?
The average age of a person diagnosed with Mesothelioma 69 years old. People most likely to get diagnosed with Mesothelioma have worked around asbestos did the laundry for a worker would have been exposed.
More than 15,000 Americans will die each year from an asbestos related disease (Mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, asbestosis).