|
Pleural Mesothelioma is an uncommon
disease that has been making its way to the headlines. The most shocking aspect
of the condition is that so many currently and historically have had the
disease without even knowing it. Misdiagnosis happens frequently in cases of
Mesothelioma cancer. You need to protect yourself from the consequences of
other people's mistakes.
The pleura sac encases the lungs. As
you breathe the interior protects the lungs and allows them to expand and
contract. Through prolonged exposure, this sac can become riddled with asbestos
fibers. Cancer cells then start developing and multiplying in the tissue of the
pleura
Malignant
pleural mesothelioma is cancer which is found in the lining of the chest.
When pleural mesothelioma
cancer spreads, the cells of the mesothelium become abnormal. These malignant
cells begin to divide and spread without order and can begin to affect other
organs and tissues in the immediate area. This often leads to complications and
damage to the surrounding organs.
The National Institute of Cancer
cites working with asbestos as the overwhelming risk factor for pleural
mesothelioma. While almost 80 percent of those that have mesothelioma have been
exposed to asbestos, there are still reported cases where there is no known
exposure. Smoking alone has not been shown to increase the risk of mesothelioma
but smoking in conjunction with asbestos exposure does increase risk. The
heavier the exposure to asbestos, and the longer the duration of exposure, the
greater the chance of pleural mesothelioma, although not everyone exposed is
afflicted with the cancer who is exposed to asbestos.
Mesothelioma research shows
that when asbestos particles are set free and inhaled, however, exposed
individuals are at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. Once these
fibers work their way into body tissues (especially the lungs), they will stay
there permanently. The risk of developing asbestos-related diseases, including
pleural mesothelioma, varies with the type of industry in which the exposure
occurred and with the extent of the exposure. In addition, different types of
asbestos fibers may be associated with different health risks.
Pleural mesothelioma has a
very poor record of treatment and a brief survival time. Here are some basic
statistics on surviving pleural mesothelioma:
Mean survival time from
initial presentation of the disease to death was 11.4 months for the pleural
mesothelioma patients. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a very lethal disease
and little is known about prognostic factors. The prognostic significance of
age, stage of disease, gender and histological subtype was studied in 167 new
cases of cytologically (15%) or histologically (85%) proven malignant pleural
mesothelioma in the Rotterdam area, during the period 1987-1989.
Median survival of all patients was 242 days. Univariate analysis identified
age, stage and histopathological subtype as significant prognostic factors,
which was confirmed in multivariate analysis. Median survival rates for
patients < 65, 65-74 and > or = 75 yrs were 359, 242 and 131 days,
respectively. Patients with Stage I disease had a median survival of 359 days
compared to 147 and 112 days, respectively, for patients with Stage II and the
combination of Stages III and IV. Mixed histopathological subtype (190 days)
was less favorable than sarcomatous (207 days) and epithelial (252 days)
subtypes. Using a Cox proportional hazard model in patients with malignant
pleural mesothelioma, age, histological subtype and stage were identified as
independent prognostic factors. These prognostic factors should be taken into
account when starting or evaluating treatment studies.
While pleural mesothelioma
treatment techniques and practices continue to evolve, this remains a disease
that is uniformly fatal and unquestionably associated with exposure to
asbestos.
Types of Pleural
mesothelioma
1.
Diffuse and malignant (cancerous)
Malignant mesotheliomas are very serious.
Fortunately, they are rare. There is as yet no known cure for malignant
mesothelioma. The prognosis depends on various factors, including the size and
stage of the tumor, the extent of the tumor, the cell type, and whether or not
the tumor responds to treatment.
2.
Localized and benign (non-cancerous)
Benign mesotheliomas can often be removed
surgically, are generally not life-threatening, and are not usually related to
asbestos exposure.
|
Menu