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Mesothelioma
is considered known as the most deadly type of cancer that
is caused by inhaling the asbestos particles that float in
the air. Mostly people who are directly or indirectly
exposed to asbestos will be affected by this disease. It
affects the mesothelium which is the protective layer of
most the internal organs in the body. Malignant cells
developed on the mesothelium of the heart, lungs or the
stomach. The mesothelium of the chest cavity and the lungs
is known as pleura, the stomach lining is called peritoneum
and pericardium is the lining of the heart. There is
provision in the law for the compensation of Mesothelioma
patients and special lawyers called asbestos lawyers help
the patients in their legal pursuit.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
The symptoms of Mesothelioma can be seen at the last stage
of the disease. At that time curing it becomes very
difficult. The symptoms can be seen after a long time of
exposure to asbestos which may be a long gap of twenty to
fifty years. The main symptoms are breathlessness caused by
accumulation of fluid in the chest, coughing, pain in the
chest; blood may also appear with the cough or the spit.
These symptoms can be seen if the pleura or the pericardium
is affected. If the peritoneum is affected the patient will
develop loss of appetite, pain in the stomach, loss of
weight, problem in the bowel, anemia and fatigue. The
patient may also suffer from frequent fever.
Treatment of Mesothelioma
An effective treatment of this disease depends on several
factors like, in which stage the cancer has been detected,
what is the age of the patient, how much the cancerous cells
have circulated and the general health condition of the
patient, that is whether he is suffering from some other
disease or not. It has been observed that chemotherapy is
the only treatment available for these patients. It uses
medicines, chemicals or drugs in a systematic manner to
eradicate the cancerous cells. The medicine is either
injected directly in the body or administered in pill forms.
The other forms of treatment are immunotherapy, surgery and
radiation by which the malignant cells are destroyed so that
they do not spread to the other parts of the body. In severe
cases many tumors may be detected on the affected area for
this the doctors first remove the tumors by surgery and then
the other forms of treatment follow. The patient has to
decide whether he will undergo the painful treatment or
survive for six to twelve months without treatment. |
