Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer whose cause has been brought to light and officially recognized. As different catalysts are found to bring about cancer in the body and different periods of dormancy for symptoms become known, the types of cancers that exist seem to only increase.

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and has an incredibly long latency period for symptoms. People who are at risk for having this disease were exposed to the catalyst some 20 to 50 years before the first symptoms surface. The cancer is often difficult to diagnose because the symptoms mimic those of other, benign, diseases and are typical troubles associated with aging.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the mesothelium, or lining, of the body’s cavities and is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos. There are three major types of mesothelioma that affect about 95% of all cases and a few lesser known types that affect a significantly small percentage of all mesothelioma cases.

The three major types of mesothelioma are pleural (lung cavity), peritoneal (abdominal cavity) and pericardial (heart cavity). The most common of these types is pleural mesothelioma which accounts for 75% of all mesothelioma cases. The other cases account for 20% (peritoneal) and less than 5% (pericardial) of all documented cases.

Mesothelioma and its Types

There are three major types of mesothelioma (and a few lesser known types that occur infrequently) known as: pleural, peritoneal and pericardial. There are symptoms that are common to all forms of mesothelioma as well as many other diseases which results in a delay in the diagnosis of the disease. Because most people are unaware that they have mesothelioma, by the time they are diagnosed the disease is terminal and the expected life span after diagnosis is usually just one year.

Pleural Mesothelioma

• chronic chest pain
• difficulty breathing and swallowing
• shortness of breath
• persistent cough
• coughing up blood
• hoarse or raspy voice
• fever
• weight loss

Many of these symptoms can be found in a number of other, considerably less malignant illnesses such a viral pneumonia and emphysema. Chest pain is the most common complaint in these cases and can be relieved by draining the chest fluid or closing the pleural space. This can relieve some symptoms but there is no known cure for the disease.

There are actually two types of pleural mesothelioma, cancerous and non-cancerous. Of the non-cancerous variety is a benign mesothelioma that affects the lining around the lung cavity. The tumors formed by the cancer can be easily removed and are not considered life threatening. The disease is not even caused by asbestos exposure.

Research is being done to determine the causes for this type of mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is diagnosed in fewer than 3,000 people in the US each year so it is considered a rare type of cancer. This disease has a latency period of 20-50 years which means people who were exposed to asbestos (the primary cause for mesothelioma) are unaware that they carry this terminal disease until it is too late to successfully treat. Once detected, the patient typically has fewer than five years left to live, often just one. There are a variety of treatments for the disease but no known cure.

Pleural mesothelioma affects the cells of the mesothelium (lining) of the lung cavity through the inhalation of asbestos fibers. The fibers enter through the nose or mouth and travel to the lungs where they become lodged and migrate through the tissues. When the asbestos reaches the mesothelium it causes the cells in the area to behave abnormally and have incredibly long life spans.

This causes the formation of tumors in the mesothelium which can spread throughout the pleural mesothelium and sometimes other areas of the body cavity. With a 20-50 year span for development, the cancerous cells can create massive tumors before they are detected. Often the patient finds out about the tumors or pleural effusion (fluid in the lung cavity) during a routine medical exam without even having had symptoms.

When there are symptoms, they include: shortness of breath, chest pain, lower back pain, persistent cough, weight loss, weakness and difficulty swallowing which can all be attributed to other illnesses.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The cancer can start in one area of the abdomen and travel to spread tumors all over the abdominal cavity. Inhaled asbestos fibers travel on the mucous lining of the mouth and esophageal tract to enter the digestive system. They get stuck in a segment of the digestive system and begin to form tumors that press against the abdominal wall to cause the following symptoms:

• abdominal pain and swelling/mass
• nausea and vomiting
• loss of appetite
• bowel obstruction
• blood clotting abnormalities
• fever
• anemia/low red blood cell count
• chest pain
• breathing problems
• weight loss

What is peritoneal mesothelioma?

Typical symptoms associated with peritoneal mesothelioma. Although all types of mesothelioma exhibit similar types of signs and symptoms yet there are some that are specific to peritoneal mesothelioma.

• Stomach pain
• Swollen stomach
• Loose motions
• Constipation
• Sudden weight loss
• Chunks of tissues found in the abdominal area

Risk factors to develop peritoneal mesothelioma. It is commonly believed that asbestos exposure is the sole cause for peritoneal mesothelioma. But according to mesothelioma experts there are several risk factors such as:

• Asbestos exposure through asbestos dust or asbestos fibers
• Family history of cancer
• Smokers who work in asbestos surroundings
• Simian Virus 40, a type of monkey cells used to develop polio vaccines in the 1950s and early 1960s
• Thorium dioxide, a type of radioactive substance that was used in X-rays
• Zeolite, a mineral with asbestos like characteristics

How is peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosed?

• X-rays
• Abdominal CT scan
• Fine Needle Aspiration
• Thoracoscopy
• Laparoscopy
• Thoracotomy
• Laparotomy
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI
• Positron Emission Tomography or PET

Pericardial Mesothelioma

• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• difficulty breathing
• persistent cough
• palpitations

Like all other forms of mesothelioma, there is no cure. There is some treatment to relieve the symptoms, namely the removal of the pericardial lining to reduce the constriction of the heart. Pericardial mesothelioma is one of the rarest forms of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that people usually get due to extensive exposure to asbestos.

Although there are other less common reasons by which a patient can get mesothelioma. In pericardial mesothelioma the deadly or malignant cells attack the highly fragile and sensitive lining of the heart. Since the heart lining is known as pericardium, hence it is known as pericardial mesothelioma.

Early Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma

• Chest pains
• Breathing difficulties
• Tiredness
• Coughing spells
• Heart palpitations
• Fever

Since these symptoms are quite common with other heart conditions, pericardial mesothelioma can easily be misdiagnosed. Later symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma

• The heart lining thickens
• Fluid fills around the heart
• Usually spreads to other organs such as lungs and stomach

• Difficulty in ingesting food and liquids
• Breakdown of lungs
• Intestinal obstruction
• Heart conditions
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Death

People most likely to get pericardial mesothelioma

• Shipyard workers
• Plumbers
• Painters
• Asbestos mine workers
• Zeolite mine workers
• Railroad employees
• Manufacturers of insulation material
• Cement mixers

All these above groups of people have an extremely high chance of being exposed to asbestos dust and fibers

Precautionary measures when working in an asbestos environment

• Wear protective equipment at work
• Shower and change your work clothes before you head home
• Have an expert detect asbestos in your home

Other types of Mesothelioma

The treatment is the removal of the affected testicle and the prognosis is usually positive. Another rare type of mesothelioma is desmoplastic malignant mesothelioma which causes tumors to form in the connective tissues of the chest cavity and lings. There are so few reported cases of desmoplastic malignant mesothelioma that little is known about the disease or even the symptoms.

The uncommon mesotheliomas can be just as deadly as the more common variety, sometimes more so because they are so difficult to diagnose. Once the cause of the problem is found the disease is so far gone that the patient may have only a few weeks to live. In some cases, however, doctors have documented the existence of benign mesothelioma unrelated to asbestos exposure.

Benign Mesothelioma

There are other benign diseases that present as mesothelioma and turn out to be of the benign variety, often any of a number of pleural diseases related to asbestos exposure. They are rarely fatal and usually easy to treat. These diseases are generally categorized as:

Plaques – small, hard surfaces on the pleural mesothelium which are often caused by asbestos fibers settling in the area. They do not cause breathing difficulty but indicate some exposure to asbestos. Finding these types of plaques in the pleura means that you are at a higher risk of developing malignant mesothelioma so regular check ups are important.

Thickening – the pleura can some times experience thickening due to exposure to asbestos, referred to as diffuse fibrosis. This thickening reduces the lungs ability to function properly and causes breathing difficulties. This too is a benign form of disease that indicates exposure to asbestos and puts the patient at higher risk for developing malignant mesothelioma.

Effusions – this is a build up of fluid in the pleural space and is caused by exposure to asbestos. Pleural effusion is a key sign of pleural mesothelioma so benign effusion can be misdiagnosed as malignant pleural mesothelioma. While it is treatable, you should be on guard for malignant development of mesothelioma and have regular check ups for the fluid build up.

Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis Testis

What is found upon examination is an accumulation of fluid in the scrotal sac as well as tiny tumors dotting the lining. The disease is treatable and sometimes considered curable.

Desmoplastic Malignant Mesothelioma

Treatment Options

It is easy to treat benign pleural mesothelioma but malignant forms tend to require a variety of treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. There are a variety of ongoing clinical trials that offer different treatments as researchers look for a cure for all forms of Mesothelioma.