Pleural Mesothelioma – A closer look

Mesothelioma is the cancer type which has a very long latency period and the patient is has a very thin positive prognosis chance. Even if the patient checks with a doctor for the symptoms there are much higher chances that the symptoms are assumed to be associated with some other health problems. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma. This is the cancerous infection of the lung lining and leads to a high degree of discomfort in the chest region and also brings down the ease of living of the patient considerable.

• The common symptoms associated with pleural mesothelioma is
• Severe dry coughing
• Pain in the back region
• Formation of lumps in the chest region
• Weight loss

This type of mesothelioma causes a lot of hoarseness. The patient finds it extremely difficult to swallow or breathe regularly or involve in demanding workouts. Weakness and severe muscle pain is also a characteristic. On asbestos exposure the fibers tend to get entangled with the pleural epithelium and create scars there that lead to inflammation of the layer. This thickening of the lining arrests the normal functioning of the chest region leading to the above symptoms.

A lot of times pleural mesothelioma is misinterpreted as lung cancer. Though the two conditions have a lot of factors in common they are cancerous infections of two different forms

• There are a number of causes identified for lung cancer, and interestingly asbestos the most prominent cause of mesothelioma also causes lung cancer. When the victim is exposed to asbestos the fibers tend to get captured in the tissues of the lungs. Depending upon the amount of particles entrapped their size and their chemical composition the body responds ultimately leading to cancerous growth in the lungs. When the same phenomenon causes the cancerous growth in the lining of the lungs then the condition is pleural mesothelioma.
• In lung cancer the cancer cells are found in the air passages whereas in mesothelioma the cancer is found in between the lobes (interlobular fissures) or at times in the area immediately below the lung lining.
• Smoking does not affect the chances of getting mesothelioma in a person who has already had asbestos exposure. Smoking could actually worsen the condition of the lungs minimizing the chances of good treatment response, but does not affect the stage of the mesothelioma whereas in lung cancer smoking plays a key role in kick starting the cancerous growth.

Apart from pleural mesothelioma which is a very common mesothelioma there are other forms of mesothelioma which are different by the area of the infection. A rare form of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma which is the cancer in the abdomen lining.

The cases being so rare the oncologists are always in short of the inputs they require to establish insights into the disease characteristics and the treatment methodologies of peritoneal mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is characterized by abdominal discomforts, swollen abdomen, and weight loss, unexpected changes in bowel movements and unexplained tissue masses in the abdominal area. These symptoms are not for the onset of the disease but rather an indication that the cancer is at a very advanced stage.

In the diagnosis the imaging tests involved could be x ray, CT scan or MRI scan. In case of any suspicious observation the oncologists recommend a biopsy which is examining the tissue of the abdominal lining. A procedure called peritoneoscopy is followed to probe into the abdomen. This is an anesthetic procedure which is the end of diagnosis in most cases. Surgical treatment procedures are considered in most cases when the disease is not advanced whereas for advanced stages curative methods are not very promising.

Pericardial mesothelioma is a very rare form of mesothelioma. This contributes about 1% to 6% of the total mesothelioma cases recorded. Pericardium is the lining of the heart and is bi layered. The outer layer is parietal which lines the chest cavity at a larger level and the inner visceral layer lines the heart closely. The cause of pericardial mesothelioma like any other form of mesothelioma is asbestos exclusively.

Due to very minimal case records and the lack of insight into how asbestos causes the cancerous growth in the pericardium, the knowledge to do the prognosis and finalize the treatment is very narrow.
The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma are chest pain, heart palpitation, tiredness, severe cough, frequent fevers and extreme breathing difficulties. It takes a longer time to the patients to display these symptoms due to the extremely lengthy latency of twenty to fifty years.

The treatment options available for pericardial mesothelioma are very minimal. There is a high risk in the surgical procedure as the pericardium is in close vicinity to the heart, so in most cases this is ruled out. In very initial stages this is a possible approach. Apart from this patients are only recommended only palliative treatments which aim at improving the life quality.

Positive prognosis for mesothelioma is a very rare case. But prognosis is necessary to decide some treatment plans and therapies that could make the life of the patient easier and to improve the standard of life in an overall manner. The factors that contribute to prognosis are as below

• The type of mesothelioma contributes much in finalising the prognosis. Epithelial mesothelioma contributes to over half the cases of the recorded mesothelioma cases. Epithelial mesothelioma has a better chance of positive prognosis than sarcomatoid or any other type for that matter due to its higher incidence consequently the higher research insights that have been acquired.
• The location of the tumour is also considered in the prognosis. Pleural mesothelioma is the tumour of the lung lining which is common and makes eighty per cent of the total mesothelioma cases. This has higher prognosis than the pericardial or testicular mesothelioma cases.
• The progression of the tumour has a great effect on the prognosis. The stages one has a decent prognosis chances whereas the stages two, three and four have a very minimal chances of prognosis.
• If metastases has begun then the prognosis is absolutely negative.