Pleural Mesothelioma -
Facts About The Disease & Diagnosis
Pleural mesothelioma is a kind of fairly rare and very aggressive cancer. It is the most common kind among all the kinds of mesothelioma. This type of cancer affects the mesothelial cells, part of the membrane which forms a kind of lining for the body cavity, and a number of internal organs. Pleural mesothelioma develops in the pleura, which is the lining of the lungs. This membrane, the pleura has two layers. The outer, parietal layer, forms the lining of the chest cavity and covering for the diaphragm. The inner, visceral layer, is like an envelope for the lungs. This is a disease associated with asbestos, and usually develops only in one layer of the pleura. As the disease advances, and the cancer spreads, it metastasizes, first to the other layer of pleura, and then to the other organs of the body. When the fibers of this mineral are inhaled and the fibers cross over from the lung into the spaces between the mesothelial cells, where they become trapped. Here, they cause irritation and inflammation, leading to the growth of cancerous cells and the uncontrolled burgeoning of those cells into tumors, beginning pleural mesothelioma. This leads to a thickening of the pleural membrane layers and also leads to a build-up of fluid. The
pleural effusion
puts pressure on the lungs, and makes normal breathing difficult or nearly impossible, especially in the more advanced stages. There are a number of other symptoms associated with this disease, including persistent bouts of dry or raspy coughing, spitting blood during coughing, loss of appetite and difficulty in swallowing, shortness of breath even when the patient is resting, persistent chest pain and painful breathing, lumps forming under the skin, night sweats, sudden and unusual weight loss, fevers, fatigue. Pleural meso is different from other types of mesothelioma in some symptoms. First of all, it starts in the chest area, in the pleura around the lungs, while other kinds of meso develop at other areas around the body. For example, peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdominal lining. The pleural variety accounts for 70% of mesothelioma cases. The mesothelioma in other parts of the body show other symptoms, for example, abdominal cavity tumors often cause abdominal pain, abnormal fluid buildup in the abdomen, masses or lumps in the abdomen, bowel function problems, blood clots in veins, severe internal bleeding, jaundice, low blood sugar levels, and so on. Pleural mesothelioma can be difficult to diagnose as many of the symptoms are mild in early stages, or attributed to other causes. Also, none of the symptoms arise for many years after the asbestos exposure. To be certain, and to make a diagnosis of pleural cancer, X-rays and CT-Scans are often the first level of tests. Diagnosis depends partly on the
symptoms
presented, but in most cases a number of diagnostic tests are often required in order to confirm the diagnosis of cancer. A detailed medical history is also an important tool in the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma. Patients often need a number of other more advanced imaging, fluid, or tissue tests. Biopsies are often the final word, in the attempt to confirm the presence of cancer. Until recently, the outlook for someone suffering from this kind of cancer was pretty bleak.
On-going research
and the development of new drugs, however, have combined with early detection techniques to provide new hope for patients with pleural mesothelioma.
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