Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon, but no longer
rare, cancer that is difficult to diagnose
and poorly responsive to therapy.
Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious
of all asbestos-related diseases.
A
layer of specialized cells called
mesothelial cells lines the chest cavity,
abdominal cavity, and the cavity around
the heart. These cells also cover the
outer surface of most internal organs. The
tissue formed by these cells is called
mesothelium.
The
mesothelium helps protect the organs by
producing a special lubricating fluid that
allows organs to move around. For example,
this fluid makes it easier for the lungs
to move inside the chest during breathing.
The mesothelium of the chest is called the
pleura and the mesothelium of the abdomen
is known as the peritoneum. The
mesothelium of the pericardial cavity (the "sac-like" space around the heart) is
called the pericardium.
Tumors
of the mesothelium can be benign
(noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A
malignant tumor of the mesothelium is
called a malignant mesothelioma. Because
most mesothelial tumors are cancerous,
malignant mesothelioma is often simply
called mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma
was recognized as a tumor of the pleura,
peritoneum and pericardium in the late
1700's. However it was not until much
later, in 1960, that this particular type
of tumor was described in more detail and
even more importantly, its association
with asbestos exposure was recognized. The
first report linking mesothelioma to
asbestos exposure was written by
J.C.Wagner, and described 32 cases of
workers in the "Asbestos Hills" in South
Africa. Since than the relationship
between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure
has been confirmed in studies around the
world.
The
incidence of mesothelioma in the United
States remains very low, with 14 cases
occurring per million people per year.
Despite these numbers the noticed
threefold increase in mesothelioma in
males between 1970 and 1984, is directly
associated with environmental and
occupational exposure to asbestos, mostly
in areas of asbestos product plants and
shipbuilding facilities.
Although
the disease is much more commonly seen in
60-year old men, it has been described in
women and early childhood as well. The
cause of the disease is not so well
understood in these latter two groups, but
there is some evidence of possible
asbestos exposure for some of these cases
as well.
Malignant
mesotheliomas are divided into three main
types. About 50% to 70% of mesotheliomas
are the epithelioid type. This type has
the best prognosis (outlook for survival).
The other two types are the sarcomatoid
type (7%+10%), and the mixed/biphasic type
(20%-35%). Treatment options for all three
types are the same.
About
three-fourths of mesotheliomas start in
the chest cavity. They are known as
pleural mesotheliomas. Another 10% to 20%
begin in the abdomen. These are called
peritoneal mesotheliomas. Pericardial
mesotheliomas, those starting in the
cavity around the heart, are very rare.
The covering layer of the testicles is
actually an outpouching of peritoneum into
the scrotum. Mesotheliomas that affect
this covering of the testicles are quite
rare.
Finding a Mesothelioma Attorney
Glossary
of Terms
asbestos: combination of several minerals that
separate into long, threadlike fibers.
Because they do not bum, do not conduct
heat or electricity, and are very
resistant to chemicals, these minerals are
often used for making fireproof materials,
electrical insulation, roofing, filters,
etc. benign: doing no harm, good
incidence: the frequency with which an
event occurs (usually in a group at risk)
pericardium: a thin membrane surrounding
the heart and the roots of the great blood
vessels.
peritoneum: a thin membrane that covers the abdominal
cavity and partially covers some of the
abdominal organs.
pleura: a thin membrane that covers the lungs
(visceral pleura) and lines the chest
cavity (parietal pleura) malignant:
harmful, dangerous (a malignant tumor is a
cancer).
median: middle number in a series of numbers (for
example: median survival of 10 months
means that for that specific group of
patients the survival varied from probably
2 months to 30 months).
mesoderm: the middle layer of cells in an embryo,
from which the muscular, skeletal,
vascular, connective etc. tissues
develop.
mesothelioma: a tumor of the mesothelium, that can be
benign (localized) or malignant (diffusely
spread), and that is most commonly caused
by the ingestion of asbestos
particles.
mesothelium: the thin layer of mesodermal epithelial
cells that forms the pleura, peritoneum,
pericardium.
metastases: the spread of tumor cells from one part of
the body to another unrelated part of the
body by the way of the bloodstream or
lymphatics.
prognosis: prediction of the probable course of the
disease in an individual. Prognostic
factors are factors associated with
prognosis.
TNM
staging: assigning a stage to the tumor based on
size, local versus disseminated growth,
lymph node involvement and presence or
absence of distant metastases.
tumor: a mass of tissue, a growth independent of
its surrounding structures and having no
physiological function/ a neoplasm. A
tumor can be benign or malignant.
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