Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest diseases known to man. The average life span of an inflicted person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months. Mesothelioma, a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, is characterized by fluid surrounding the lungs, shortness of breathfatigue, anemia wheezing, hoarseness, or cough blood in the sputum, and coughed up (hemoptysis). Mesothelioma is considered as localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. Mesothelioma is rare in people under age 55 and occurs more often in men than in women. The risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.
Mesothelioma is a disease that is almost 100% preventable; the only known cause is via exposure to the deadly mineral Asbestos. Mesothelioma is a difficult, very aggressive cancer to treat. This is one of the reasons that it has such a very, very low survival rate. Mesothelioma it is not typically diagnosed until the disease is fairly advanced. Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose, largely due to the fact that it remains latent in the body for up to five decades and is usually not diagnosed until its late stages. Mesothelioma found in those working at particular jobsites such as shipyards can quite often be easily traced to the asbestos products that were present in these locations.
If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. Over time, these symptoms get worse, the tightness in the chest becomes more severe, abdominal pain starts, there is trouble breathing, and the weight loss and vomiting could become quite severe. As there is no cure for mesothelioma, all treatments are geared to prolonging the patient's life span and or making the patient as comfortable as possible by alleviating the painful symptoms.
