Mesothelioma Cancer:
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is
almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In
this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a
protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs.
Its most common site is the pleura, but it may also occur in the peritoneum
and the pericardium. Most people who develop mesothelioma have
worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have
been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as
by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with
asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years
after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain
in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural
space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of
peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia,
abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites. Others symptoms of peritoneal
mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting
abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread
beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may
include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or
face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other,
less serious conditions.
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