| Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is quite | | | | 30 to 50 years to appear. This can make it |
| rare involving malignant cells being found in the | | | | difficult to determine whether or not you are |
| mesothelum. This area of the body is a protective | | | | suffering from the disease. Some signs you will |
| sac that covers most of the body's internal | | | | want to watch out for include shortness of |
| organs. Sadly, many who develop this form of | | | | breath, pain in the chest, bowel obstruction, blood |
| cancer have gotten it from inhaling asbestos | | | | clotting abnormalities, and fever. |
| particles on a jobsite. | | | | While it is difficult to identify symptoms, it is |
| Reports from people who have acquired | | | | equally difficult to diagnose the form of cancer. |
| mesothelioma have increased over the last 20 | | | | The reason for this is because the symptoms are |
| years, but it is still a rare form. On average, there | | | | similar to many other conditions. Diagnosis will |
| are around 2,000 new cases of the disease | | | | begin with a doctor looking at your medical history |
| diagnosed every year in the United States. | | | | and performing a complete physical exam. A |
| Although it is far more common in men than | | | | biopsy is also needed in order to confirm the |
| woman, it is possible for both genders to inherit it | | | | diagnosis. |
| at any age. | | | | If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, |
| The primary risk for mesothelioma is working | | | | treatment will depend on the location of the |
| with asbestos. Somewhere between 70 and 80 | | | | cancer, the stage of the disease, your age and |
| percent of all cases show a history of asbestos | | | | your overall health. Surgery is quite common as |
| exposure at work, which is the leading cause for | | | | the doctor will remove part of the lining of the |
| getting the form of cancer. Asbestos is widely | | | | chest and some tissue around it. A lung may be |
| used in industrial products such as cement, brake | | | | removed as well. Other treatment options include |
| linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and | | | | radiation therapy and chemotherapy. |
| insulation. As small pieces of asbestos particles | | | | The good news is new treatment methods are |
| float in the air, they can be inhaled or swallowed | | | | constantly being looked at. While this is a hard |
| thus leading to the disease. | | | | disease to control, there are clinical trials that are |
| One of the troubling things with mesothelioma is | | | | being designed to find new treatments and better |
| that signs and symptoms do not become known | | | | ways to handle the disease. |
| right away. In fact symptoms can take as long as | | | | |