Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and debilitating form of cancer caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. When asbestos particles are inhaled or swallowed, they bypass the body’s natural defense systems, lodging themselves in the lungs and abdomen. The sharp, microscopic asbestos fibers eventually make their way to the outer edge of the chest and abdominal cavities and into a membrane called the mesothelium.
The mesothelium, a double-layered protective membrane, surrounds all the organs of the human body and is vital to their proper function. The mesothelium keeps the organs in place while simultaneously lubricating them, allowing them to flex and move with breathing and other movement.
Asbestos fibers cause lesions and scarring on the mesothelium, ultimately leading to the formation of tumors. The damaged cells secrete large amounts of a clear fluid that presses on the lungs and other organs, causing severe discomfort. In addition to these fluid secretions, aggressive tumor growth in later stages can lead to the rapid spread of cancer throughout the chest and abdomen, as well as cardiac or respiratory failure. Mesothelioma progresses extremely slowly. The cancer may take anywhere from 25 to 50 years to show symptoms. Often, when a victim is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the disease has already reached an advanced stage and permanent damage has already occurred.
There are two types of mesothelioma: pleural and peritoneal. Pleural mesothelioma, the most common form of the cancer, affects the pleura, the protective membrane encasing the lungs. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for about 10 percent of mesothelioma cases but is equally deadly. The peritoneum is the membrane surrounding the abdomen. Although the path of the asbestos fibers to the abdomen is still not definitively known, most medical professionals believe the asbestos particles enter the abdomen through the mouth before ultimately affecting the peritoneum.
source : http://malignant-mesothelioma-usa.blogspot.co.id/2015/03/what-is-mesothelioma-in-2015.html
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