Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer which is occurred due to previous exposure to asbestos. This disease cause malignant cells developing in mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on professions where they exposed 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 (housewife or housemaids), or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.
malignant cells developing in mesothelium
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
- chest wall pain
- pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
- shortness of breath
- fatigue or anemia
- wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
- blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up
- blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
- disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
- jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
- low blood sugar level
- pleural effusion
- pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
- severe ascites
- Surgery
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
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