By David
Arnold Livingston
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.
About
the author:
David
Arnold Livingston is an advocate for Health
and
recommends, as a resource:
Mesothelioma
Asbestos Cancer
