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One rare form of cancer is called
Mesothelioma, a malignant tumor in the mesothelial tissues
of the lungs and the abdomen, arising from the inhalation of
asbestos. Its rarity is one of the reasons why a lot of
people are not aware of this kind of fatal disease. In fact,
many people die of Mesothelioma undiagnosed. Although there
is now a growing awareness of the hazards of asbestos to
health, still many have not heard of Mesothelioma and thus,
have not understood its nature, cause, signs and treatment.
Even some physicians find it hard to detect Mesothelioma
because its symptoms are akin to other diseases like lung
cancer and pneumonia. Furthermore, it takes decades for a
patient who was exposed to asbestos to develop Mesothelioma
— fifty years, at most.
Being unaware of Mesothelioma poses
higher risks since it deters diagnosis and treatment. A
person undergoing treatment must know the different stages
of the cancer or the extent of the disease. Chances of
recovering from Mesothelioma and the kind of treatment
depend on the stage of the illness. There are basically two
staging systems used for Pleural Mesothelioma (lungs): TNM
system and Brighan system. These staging systems are also
used in other kinds of cancers; however, the first is
commonly used. There is no established method in determining
the stage of the Peritoneal Mesothelioma cancer (abdominal)
so the TNM system is used.
There are three variables in the TNM
system: tumor, lymph nodes and metastasis. In the earliest
stage of Mesothelioma, stage I, the malignant
Mesothelioma cells start to grow and multiply only one layer
of the pleura. The pleura is the membrane that encloses the
lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. However, there
are some instances wherein the pericardium (membrane that
covers the heart) and diaphragm cover are already affected.
In this case, the cancer patient is still in stage I
Mesothelioma.
In the second stage, the two
layers of the pleura are already affected by Mesothelioma.
Take note, however, that in this stage, only one side of the
body is affected. Normally, the pleura produces only small
amount of lubricating fluid that allows easy expanding and
contracting of the lungs. The excess fluid is absorbed by
the blood and the lymph vessels so there’s a balance
between the amount of fluid produced and removed. During the
second stage Mesothelioma, fluid starts to build up between
the membrane of the lungs and the membrane of the chest
wall, resulting to pleural effusion. The increase in the
volume of fluid produced causes shortness of breath and
chest pain. Other Mesothelioma cancer patients experience
dry and persistent cough. Diagnosis of the pleural effusion
is achieved through a chest x-ray.
Stage III Mesothelioma means that
the malignant cells have already spread to the chest wall,
esophagus and the lymph nodes on one part of the chest. The
patient may suffer severe pain near the parts affected. When
not treated immediately or when the Mesothelioma patient
doesn’t respond well to medication, the cancer may advance
to the fourth stage. The fourth stage Mesothelioma is
formidable since at this stage the Mesothelioma cells have
penetrated into the bloodstream and other organs in the body
like the liver, the bones and the brain. The lymph nodes on
the other side of the chest may also be affected by
Mesothelioma in stage IV.
Brighan staging system, on the
other hand, determines whether the Mesothelioma can be
surgically removed or not and whether the lymph nodes are
affected or not. In stage I Mesothelioma, the lymph nodes
are not yet affected and the patient can still recover
through surgery. In stage II, surgery can still be executed
but some lymph nodes have already been infiltrated by the
cancer cells. In stage III, the heart and chest wall are
already affected; thus, surgery is no longer advisable. The
lymph nodes in this stage, however, may or may not be
affected. In the final stage, stage IV Mesothelioma, cancer
cells have already gone to the bloodstream and other parts
of the body like the heart, brain, bone and liver. In most
cases, a patient who has reached stage IV Mesothelioma only
has four to twenty-four months to live.
David Arnold Livingston is a believer in
gaining knowledge around Health issues and recommends, as a
resource: http://www.newmesothelioma.com/Mesothelioma |
