by Heidi Wingrain

Lung mesothelioma or the pleural mesothelioma is one of the three very perilous cancers affecting the mesothelium, a protective covering found around vital organs like lungs, abdomen and heart. The three types are the pleural, which affects the lung cavities, the pericardial that inhabit in the heart cavities and peritoneal which attack the abdominal cavities. The cancer is comparatively rare and only those people who were in contact with asbestos for a protracted period are normally the victims of it.

Mesothelium is a membranous sac found around vital organs like abdomen, lungs and heart. The lining also aids indirectly the functioning of these organs too. Asbestos particles, after entering and settling in the layers of mesothelium, cause abnormal cell function resulting in cancerous growths. In most mesothelioma cases, the cancer shows up only after decades of exposure to asbestos. This prolonged latency period adversely affect timely diagnosis and treatment and limits the prospect of complete cure.

Some people may confuse lung cancer and lung mesothelioma, but the two are definitely different from one another. While the former affects the lung walls from inside, the latter destroys the protective lining. The prognosis of the disease is not too happy. It has been observed that most of the patients diagnosed with this cancer never complete two more years. The cancer is usually classified into four stages depending on the state of the infection. Even though timely detection has been instrumental in many patients living to tell their tale, most patients die within a handful of years because the habit of the cancer to attack at the most inopportune moment.

Asbestos exposure is the definite criminal here. The mineral, which is a naturally occurring silicate, was once considered a wonder material due to its all-around qualities like resistance to high temperature and electric shocks, ability to overcome chemical reactions etc. It was put to use in manufacturing a wide range of products like insulation products, construction material etc. But the workforce, who worked in asbestos-contaminated atmospheres, inhaled the airborne asbestos fibers and developed asbestos cancer. Many have died and many others are being diagnosed with the cancer even now.

In the present context, the emphasis is almost totally on taking proper precautions while handing the material to avoid future infections and providing suitable compensation to patients who are suffering from the cancer for no fault of theirs. Additionally, experiments and field trials are going on to explore more potent curse for lung mesothelioma as existing therapies have been proved to be ineffectual in a number of cases.

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