Mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor of the pleura or peritoneum. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. Asbestos is Usually used as a fire resistant and heat resistant insulating material. You can get three types of asbestos white which Is very common, blue and brown which is the most dangerous. Asbestos is now controlled by stringent regulations.
Mesothelioma causes pain and breathlessness. If you have the tumor of the pleura, this is the membrane surrounding The lungs, other symptoms which may occur are chest pain, cough and difficulty breathing more so if the pleura effusion Develops the outer and inner layers of the pleura can become thickened. Excess fluid will fill the gap between them when This happens it means that the lungs can not expand, making you have shortness of breath.
If you have the tumor in the peritioneum it can cause a obstruction of the intestines or a enlarged abdomen. .Mesothelioma can Be diagnosed by a chest x ray and also a biopsy. This is where a small amount of cells or tissue are taken from the body To be looked at under the microscope. If Mesothelioma is diagnosed and the cancerous tumor is small enough, surgery Can be fairly successful if not and the tumor is large there is not any successful treatment, although sometimes radiotherapy May be offered to help ease the symptoms. Mesothelioma of the peritoneum cannot be operated on and there is no other form of treatment and will usually lead to death with in one or two years.
Mesothelioma can develop even after dealing with asbestos for just a short time. The usual gap between a person working with asbestos and being diagnosed can be up to twenty or thirty years. Mesothelioma is contracted by people who work With blue and brown asbestos.
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