Mesothelioma Knowledge Center

Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer where the malicious cells affect chest, abdomen and heart cavities and is caused by continued exposure to asbestos for a considerable period of time. When inhaled, the asbestos fibers reach the pleural layer of our lungs and damages the mesothelial cells. This tumor masses will then usually spread to other parts of the body such as the abdominal cavity.

The onset of the disease is extremely slow, sometimes taking some 40 years to fully develop; however, once the disease starts manifesting itself, it is only a matter of months before the person dies. Because of this poor prognosis, the cancer is treated as aggressively as the patient’s overall physical condition allows, with some combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy or radiotherapy is one of the oldest ways to treat different type of cancers and millions of cancer sufferers are today treated with radiation therapy. Given this long period, what tests are used to diagnose it?A common test used in cancer situations is a blood test.

The good news is that up to 40% of patients who undergo surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from their lungs are still alive five years after the surgery. The process of destroying the cancer cells by introducing the anti cancer drugs into the body is called Chemotherapy. In replacement gene therapy, doctors take out the gene that seems to be causing the cancerous growths and then replace it with a healthy functioning gene.

Mesothelioma is a fairly new type of cancer that is very serious and life threatening, as with most types of cancer. Mesothelioma is one of the rarer forms of cancer with approximately 2000 cases reported in the UK each year. That is why people who have been exposed to asbestos are advised to consult a physician at early stage.

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