What is Malignant Mesothelioma
( Cancer%2Bpictures ).
Overview:
Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon, but
no longer rare, cancer that is difficult to diagnose
and poorly responsive
to therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all
asbestos-
related diseases. Most people with malignant mesothelioma have
worked on jobs where they
breathed asbestos. Others have been exposed to
asbestos in a household environment, often
without knowing it.
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A layer of specialized cells called
mesothelial cells lines the chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the
cavity
around the heart. These cells also cover the outer surface of most
internal organs. The
tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.
Tumors of the mesothelium can be benign
(noncancerous) or malignant
(cancerous). A malignant tumor of the mesothelium is called a
malignant
mesothelioma. Because most mesothelial tumors are cancerous, malignant
mesothelioma
is often simply called mesothelioma.
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Mesothelioma
(Asbestos):
The
main risk factor for developing mesothelioma is exposure to
asbestos.
Asbestos refers to a
family of magnesium-silicate mineral fibers. In
the past, asbestos was used widely for insulation
because it does not
conduct heat well and it is resistant to melting or burning. As the link
between
asbestos and mesothelioma has become well known, the use of this
material has decreased. (
Cancer%2Bpictures ) Asbestos fibers can
also damage cells of the lung and result in asbestosis (formation of scar
tissue
in the lung), and/or lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer among
people exposed to asbestos is
increased by 7 times, compared with the
general population. Indeed, asbestosis, mesothelioma,
and lung cancer are
the three most frequent causes of death and disease among people with
heavy asbestos exposure. Peritoneal mesothelioma, which forms in the
abdomen, may result from
coughing up and swallowing inhaled asbestos
fibers. Cancers of the larynx, pancreas, esophagus,
colon, and kidney have
also been linked to asbestos exposure, but the increased risk is not as
great as with lung cancer. ( Cancer%2Bpictures )
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