Mesothelioma is a dangerous cancer caused by asbestos.
Asbestos was used heavily in construction, industry, the Navy, even household products and appliances. It is still present in many homes, schools, and office buildings. Mesothelioma can arise from small exposures, and even as much as 50 years later. As a result, each year many thousands people develop mesothelioma, and millions of us are at risk.
Malignant tumors can invade surrounding tissue. Cells from malignant tumors can also break away, usually by way of the bloodstream, and travel to other parts of the body, where new tumors may form. This is how cancer spreads. The term for this is metastasis. A tumor that forms in this way is always made up of cells like those of the original site. When a tumor is not malignant, it is called a benign tumor. Benign tumors can often be removed with surgery and usually do not recur. The cells in benign tumors do not invade other tissues or spread to other parts of the body. In other words, these tumors do not typically metastasize
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and debilitating form of cancer caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. When asbestos particles are inhaled or swallowed, they bypass the body’s natural defense systems, lodging themselves in the lungs and abdomen. The sharp, microscopic asbestos fibers eventually make their way to the outer edge of the chest and abdominal cavities and into a membrane called the mesothelium.
The mesothelium, a double-layered protective membrane, surrounds all the organs of the human body and is vital to their proper function. The mesothelium keeps the organs in place while simultaneously lubricating them, allowing them to flex and move with breathing and other movement.
Asbestos fibers cause lesions and scarring on the mesothelium, ultimately leading to the formation of tumors. The damaged cells secrete large amounts of a clear fluid that presses on the lungs and other organs, causing severe discomfort. In addition to these fluid secretions, aggressive tumor growth in later stages can lead to the rapid spread of cancer throughout the chest and abdomen, as well as cardiac or respiratory failure.
Mesothelioma progresses extremely slowly. The cancer may take anywhere from 25 to 50 years to show symptoms. Often, when a victim is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the disease has already reached an advanced stage and permanent damage has already occurred.
This site can be define as a tool to give mesothelioma patients and their families and also other people to know the latest and most relevant information about mesothelioma asbestos cancer and all related things. Help to better understand and learning that mesothelioma cancer is very difficult. The more we know about the condition, the better prepared we’ll be to cope with it.
