The only known cause of mesothelioma in the United States is exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma has a long latency period, the time between first exposure to asbestos and diagnosis of disease. In rare cases, the latency period is shorter than 10-15 years after the initial exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma, but usually occurs between 20 and 40 years or more after the first exposure of an individual. Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions.
Benign mesothelioma is a benign tumor of the pleura (lining of the lungs and chest cavity). Men are more likely than women to be caused by a localized malignant mesothelioma affected. The tumor can grow large and compress the lungs, which causes the following symptoms: chronic cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (accumulation of fluid in the cavity abdominal).Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may anemia, abnormal bleeding, fever and intestinal obstruction. Symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, pain or swelling of the face and neck may show that the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelioma has spread to other parts of the body.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.About half of patients with mesothelioma are asymptomatic (without symptoms). During a physical exam, a doctor, a patient clubbing may phenomenon which is an indication of the fair / warning disease.The health professional may perform tests to identify mesothelioma.
These tests include x-rays, CT scans of the chest and / or open lung biopsy.There is no universally agreed protocol for screening people who have been exposed to asbestos. However, some research shows that serum osteopontin levels may be useful in screening asbestos-exposed people for mesothelioma. The amount of mesothelin protein increases in serum of about 75% of the patients related to the time of diagnosis, and it was suggested that the evaluation of the levels of soluble mesothelin related proteins can be used for detection.
Surgery is usually required to be a single tumor (if present), but according to the latest statistics, it is expected that the result of the operation is good with early treatment. One of the most common complications is a pleural effusion (fluid leaks inside the membranes around the lungs), which can be very serious.
Those in jobs related to construction or other trades, asbestos exposure generally involved the development of mesothelioma. It is also possible that people who are exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in a roundabout way, like washing clothes of someone who has worked with asbestos are at risk for the disease.
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