Mattie initially complained of a few respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, chest aches and long cough spells. He was given the necessary medications, pills and antibiotics but they were unable to tackle his problems. The doctors then sent him for in-depth examination and investigations. These included chest X-rays, PET scan, biopsy and CT scan.
The other side of mesothelioma
Luckily for Mattie the doctors told him that according to the test results he had a benign mesothelioma which in other words meant that his tumor was non-cancerous and was not spreading its tentacles to other organs of the body. Here I would like to tell more about benign mesothelioma for the benefit of general public. ‘Benign’ in medical terms denotes ‘not harmful to one’s health’. This particular type of mesothelioma is a rare form of tumor like condition which is not thought to be as injurious and deadly as other kinds of mesotheliomas. Benign mesothelioma occurs due to prolonged contact with a natural occurring mineral called asbestos. Asbestos though has many fantastic properties but its fibers and specks are dangerous to one’s health.
Benign mesothelioma characterizes a kind of health condition, which despite being a rare form of mesothelioma, is not malignant nor does it lead to death if cured on time. Benign mesothelioma manifests itself either in the form of cysts, tumors or plaques.
In several patients, benign mesothelioma appears as a cyst or multi-cystic with one or more tumors in an area. It can be located in peritoneum which is a fragile covering surrounding the organs in the abdominal region. This peritoneal lining aids in the efficient working of the abdominal organs. However, if a tumor is found in the peritoneal region, it will create aches in the tummy and hard bowel movements. In a few patients, the benign mesothelioma can turn into peritoneal mesothelioma if it exceeds way beyond its limits.
Benign mesothelioma can also occur as tumor in pleura or the lining of the lungs. However, if these tumors are not detected timely and taken care of, they may weigh down on the lungs causing breathing problems and other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
So coming back to Mattie’s benign mesothelioma the medical team informed him that it was contained and restricted to his lung region only. But because of the tumor’s non-threatening nature, it was causing problems for him in terms difficult breathing and other associated symptoms. The thing with benign mesothelioma is that its symptoms are exactly similar to malignant mesothelioma. Hence Mattie had chest pains, queasiness, weight loss and trouble in his bowel activities. |
