About Mesothelioma Cancer...

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, usually associated with prolonged exposure to asbestos. Such prolonged exposure can have a dramatic impact on ones health leading to this rare for of cancer which affects the pleura, a sac which surrounds the lungs; the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity; or the pericardium, a sac that surrounds the heart...

Most people who develop mesothelioma cancer have worked on construction related jobs where they have inadvertently inhaled the extremely fine asbestos particles. They may have also been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. For example exposure can also come from such simple activities as washing the clothes of a family member who has worked extensively with asbestos in the past, or by conducting home renovations & maintenance using asbestos based cement products.

What is the mesothelium?

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. The mesothelium is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

How common is mesothelioma?

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.

Continue to risk factors...