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An Overview of Pleural Mesothelioma
Most of the body’s organs are surrounded by a thin tissue known as the mesothelium. When these tissues are attacked by cancer, the condition is referred to as mesothelioma.
The pleura are the two layers of thin, connective tissue that cover the inner chest wall and the outer lung surface. Pleural mesothelioma, therefore, is cancer of these tissues. It is the most common form of mesothelioma.
The only recognized cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, a mineral that can break into fibers or dust with ease. If these particles are inhaled, they can become lodged in the lungs and lead to pleural mesothelioma. If asbestos particles bypass the lungs, they can attack the stomach and cause peritoneal mesothelioma.
Asbestos has excellent fire-retardant properties, is lightweight and easily formed or woven. It was used in a wide range of applications, from insulating boilers to making roofing materials. The construction, shipbuilding and automotive industries were among the leading markets for asbestos.
An Overview of Pleural Mesothelioma
By the time asbestos use was strictly regulated, millions of Americans had been exposed to asbestos on their jobs. These same employees also carried the dust home with them on their clothes or in their hair, exposing family members to the risk of mesothelioma also.
Those who worked in shipyards, whether building or retrofitting vessels, are most at risk of any single group. Proportionally, the mortality rate for asbestos-related illnesses among these workers is approximately 16 times greater than the average found in other occupations. Within this group, those who built the “Liberty Ships” during World War II saw an even greater concentration of incidences
Today, stringent guidelines exist to protect workers from exposure to asbestos. For the first six or seven decades of the twentieth century, however, workers and many employers were unaware of the risks associated with asbestos.
Many worked with materials containing asbestos in areas with little or no ventilation and without the benefit of safety equipment, such as respirators. In addition, there were no policies in place requiring employees to leave their work clothes onsite or to shower before leaving the premises, which could possibly have reduced the number of pleural mesothelioma cases attributable to second-hand exposure.
Mesothelioma seldom manifests until many years have elapsed between exposure and the patient’s initial symptoms. It is quite possible for exposure to have occurred fifty years prior to diagnosis.
The average time is about twenty years, and it is rare for a patient to display symptoms in less than seven years. However, the disease’s slow manifestation does not equate to its growth. On the contrary, once it begins, the cancer is quite aggressive.
Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma
The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma can mimic those of numerous other respiratory conditions, thereby delaying an accurate diagnosis. Patients who know or suspect they might have been exposed to asbestos in the past should inform their physicians so that the possibility of mesothelioma can be recognized as soon as possible.
Statistically, mesothelioma is not a common cancer. In the United States, approximately 3,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Globally, the numbers reported are approximately 9 cases per 1 million people.
An Overview of Pleural Mesothelioma
However, when the epidemic first appeared, the lack of success oncologists achieved with methods that had worked well for other types of cancer led many physicians, pharmaceutical companies and radiologists to focus on improved treatment methods. Although pleural mesothelioma remains a serious condition, great strides have been made in treating the disease, and research is ongoing.