Mesothelioma is a relatively rare but particularly devastating form of cancer, which most often affects the lungs or the abdominal area. Scientific research has revealed an undeniable and indisputable link between exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma.
Any kind of cancer is undesirable, to say the least.
Many Deaths Avoidable
What makes this particular form of cancer even more difficult to come to terms with is that most, if not all of the cases diagnosed from about 1970 on, and many who have yet to be diagnosed could (and should) have been prevented. I arrived at this estimated time frame by taking the year 1940, by which it was widely known, in the manufacturing world, that asbestos was dangerous, and then adding time for mesothelioma to have manifested in someone if he or she was exposed to asbestos in 1940.
Manifestation after exposure may occur in less than thirty years, but thirty seems to be about the average. Very seldom does a person develop it in less than a fifteen year period after the first exposure to asbestos, and the latency period can even exceed fifty years.
It is very clear however that by the 1920′s people were recognizing the danger that asbestos posed. In 1924 a British doctor coined the name “asbestosis” as the cause of death for a patient, and the first lawsuits filed against manufacturers of asbestos are on record as being filed in 1929.
So, I believe that it is more than fair to say that by 1940; manufacturers knew that asbestos could kill. But that did not stop them from selling it or using it in buildings and ships, and it didn’t stop millions of workers from being exposed to asbestos dust.
Even today, people in many parts of the world are being exposed to asbestos. However use of it has been banned in Europe and Australia, and the United States has placed heavy restrictions on its use. Although many feel it is not enough.
About Mesothelioma and its Symptoms
The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and shields many organs in the body. Mesothelioma is a cancer that manifests in that protective lining. It is nearly always related to exposure to asbestos.
Pleura (Lung) Mesothelioma
There are four kinds of mesothelioma. The most common form is pleura mesothelioma which affects the outer lining protecting the lungs (the pleura), and the chest wall. This type accounts for about 75% of mesothelioma.
Asbestos dust usually enters the body through inhalation, so it stands to reason that the lungs would be the organ most affected.
Two of the symptoms of pleura mesothelioma are chest pain and shortness of breath, which are often caused by fluid trapped between the wall of the chest and the lung(s). Other symptoms include coughing and/or coughing up blood, hoarseness, wheezing, anemia, and fatigue.
Further complications include tumors, the possibility of a collapsed lung(s), and the potential of the cancer to spread to other organs.
Peritoneum (Abdominal) Mesothelioma
Peritoneum mesothelioma accounts for between ten and twenty percent of mesothelioma cases. The peritoneum is the lining found in the abdominal cavity.
The cancer forms tumors in the abdomen but they may go undiscovered ,due to the absence of symptoms, until late in the progression of the disease. This may be a big reason that treatment has not been highly successful.
Once symptoms appear, they include weight loss, abdominal pain, fluid in the abdomen, and bowel problems. This type of mesothelioma is caused by coughing up, and then swallowing, asbestos fibers. This form of the disease can spread many other areas of the body as well.
Pericardial (Heart) Mesothelioma
The protective sac around the heart is called the pericardium. Pericardial Mesothelioma is the form of mesothelioma that begins in the cells of this tissue. This type of mesothelioma is thought to account for as little as one to two percent of mesothelioma cases.
The symptoms can often be relieved by removing the pericardium, although this will not usually cure the disease or prevent it from spreading.
Like Pleura mesothelioma, symptoms include breathing difficulty or abnormal breathing, and coughing. This mesothelioma, however, includes irregular heartbeat, clinically referred to as arrhythmia.
Mesothelioma of the (Scrotum) Tunica Vaginalis
While conducting my research of mesothelioma, this was the only one that kind of threw me, concerning the interpretation of the name. Now, I’m no Latin expert, but when I saw the name-for some reason-I initially assumed that this type of mesothelioma affected women. I could not have been more wrong.
It turns out that the Tunica Vaginalis is actually a fluid membrane which surrounds the testes inside the male scrotum. During fetal development before the sex organs are formed there is an outgrowth of the abdominal lining (peritoneum) that forms in both of the sexes. In males, it eventually closes around the testes once they have formed. In females, it closes on itself and eventually disappears when the ovaries descend.
This is by far the rarest of the mesothelioma types, and I was not able to uncover a lot of information about symptoms or treatment.
Treatment
Sadly, there has not been a great deal of success in treating mesothelioma. Surgery alone does not usually result in a significant remission of the cancer. A combination of surgery and chemotherapy has had limited success in prolonging the life of the patient.
One of the most encouraging studies indicated that if a patient was otherwise healthy and the mesothelioma was discovered early, tri-modality therapy, a mix involving surgery to remove tumors, radiation, and chemotherapy-could extend survival up to 14 years.
The average length of time for most studies of this kind, however, was only about 15 months, with less than 30 percent surviving a full two years.
Coping
Emotionally, coping with mesothelioma requires a great deal of support for both the patient and the family.
One of the best things you can do is allow yourself and your loved ones to express the sadness, fear, and anger that you are all undoubtedly feeling. A professional grief counselor is highly recommended for everyone affected.
There are also support groups for many types of cancer patients, and for families of cancer patients. Take advantage of these.
Prepare a living will, and make sure that your family and your doctor know what your medical treatment decisions are ahead of time, while you are still able to speak for yourself.
And while I’m usually not a big fan of litigation, in this case, if you believe that a company or an individual was negligent and is liable for knowingly exposing you to asbestos, without your knowledge, and/or without taking proper precautionary measures, I believe that you and your family deserve to be compensated.
A settlement can help you get better medical treatment, pay off debts and medical bills, cover your funeral costs, and help take care of the people you love after you are gone.
My family has been touched by mesothelioma. God bless every one of you affected by this tragedy.