Mesothelioma Types and Their Symptoms
Mesothelioma, or the cancer of mesothelium, is a fatal tumor that affects pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium - linings around lungs, abdomen, and heart respectively. It is a fatal disease caused by exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral.
Mesothelioma cancer be benign, i.e. it can be non-cancerous and non-spreading or it can be malignant i.e. cancerous and spread to other parts of the body leading to death. Its primary cause is prolonged exposure to asbestos and it has a latency period of about 30 to 50 years.
Types of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma can be classified into three types depending on the area of body affected by it. There are 3 common types of mesothelioma:
1. Pleural Mesothelioma
2. Peritoneal Mesothelioma
3. Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma
The most common form of mesothelioma, Pleural Mesothelioma (cancer of pleura) is a tumor of the protective lining around the lungs. It can be either benign or malignant.
The pleura is a sac-like membrane made of two layers between which the pleural fluid is released. This fluid in turn acts like a lubricating agent and helps the lungs to function smoothly during breathing.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma are:
* Shortness of breath
* Chest pain
* Back pain
* Pain in the rib cage
Other symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma, for both benign and cancerous forms, include:
* Fluid build-up in the lung lining
* Hoarseness
* Coughing up blood
* Swelling of the face and arms
* Muscle weakness
* Paralysis
* Sensory loss
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Another common form of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma or cancer of the peritoneum that causes tumor in the abdominal lining. Like pleural it can be benign or malignant.
The peritoneum is the membrane that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity and also includes:
* Tunica Vaginalis Testis (mesothelial tissue lining the male internal reproductive organs)
* Tunica Serosa Uteri (mesothelial tissue lining the female reproductive organs)
Symptoms
The fluid released in the peritoneum helps in the smooth functioning of these organs. When the peritoneum is affected, some common symptoms experienced are:
* Stomach pain
* Weight loss
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Hernia
* Bowel obstruction
* Fluid in the abdominal cavity
If the cancer spreads beyond the abdominal cavity, additional symptoms can be found, such as:
* Anemia
* Blood clotting abnormalities
* Trouble swallowing
* Swelling of neck, face or arms
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial Mesothelioma or the cancer of pericardium is a tumor of the protective sac-like lining around the heart.
Pericardium protects the heart by:
* Smoothening its motion against surrounding organs
* Limiting its motion so that it stays in the chest cavity
* Preventing it from over-expansion during excess influx of blood
Symptoms
When pericardium’s function is affected by mesothelioma, the following symptoms may occur:
* Chest pain
* Shortness of breath
* Fluid accumulation in the lining
If the mesothelioma cancer spreads to other organs of the body, it can affect their normal functioning and cause painful symptoms. Thus, it is important that mesothelioma cancer is diagnosed on time and proper treatment is given to save the patient’s life.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Radiation or Radiotherapy
Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that affects the serous linings of various internal organs in the human body. Among them, the lungs, heart and the stomach are the mostly affected.
It is estimated that each year, 2,000 new cases of Mesothelioma are reported. The patients suffering from this cancerous disease have had prior exposure to asbestos, which is considered to be the only known cause of Mesothelioma. Mesotheliomic patients are often told of the short survival duration of 6 – 12 months. But doctors specialized in treating malignant Mesothelioma at leading cancer centers expect better survival rates. Though Mesothelioma causes immense pain and suffering to the victim along with short life expectancy, certain treatments have resulted in the successful reduction and removal of the cancerous tumors of Mesothelioma. Radiation Or Rado Therapy is one of the Mesothelioma treatments available to patients suffering from the asbestos-related cancer (Mesothelioma).
RADIATION or RADIO THERAPY:
Radiation or radiotherapy is a series of localized use of high-dose radiations given to a Mesothelioma patient either externally (known as external radiotherapy) or internally (known as internal radiotherapy). It destroys the cancer cells in the targeted section of the body by means of x-rays or radioactive materials.
External Radiotherapy:
In external radiotherapy, radiations are passed through a patient’s body using x-rays and/or cobalt irradiation. This type of radiotherapy is a relatively painless procedure, which is divided into several sessions. Although, it reduces the size of the tumor, the external radiotherapy also damages the normal cells. Thus, the idea to have it in sessions results the damage control of normal cells that can be repaired naturally.
Internal Radiotherapy:
Internal radiotherapy is a clinical procedure that delivers higher quantity of radiations to a Mesothelioma patient than the external radiotherapy. This is usually given to those patients whose cancer is on extreme stages. In internal radiotherapy, a radioactive material is placed inside the patient’s tumor or a radioactive fluid is given to a patient through mouth or injection. The radioactive material(s) then circulates throughout the body, with the help of blood, and annihilates the cancer cells.
Radiation therapy can be administered, with or without chemotherapy, after a surgery to avoid the recurrence of Mesothelioma. Doctors may also prescribe a limited amount of radiation therapy to a patient, depending on the nature, position and stage of the cancer. Certain side effects are recorded in patients who underwent radiation therapy, which were minor and diminished once the radiation treatment was over. Consult a professional oncologist for detailed information about the side effects and its treatment(s), before undergoing radiotherapy.