Mesothelioma Definition

A mesothelioma definition is specified by an exact description of the disease. Mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

This disease causes malignant cells to form in the mesothelium which is a protective lining which is found to cover most of the organs in the human body. The malignant cells are most commonly found in the lining of the lungs, but also sometimes in the lining of the abdomen and other areas of the body.

The cause of the disease is usually asbestos exposure, although the exposure can be indirect such as when washing the clothes of someone who works with asbestos. Also, the disease itself sometimes doesn’t develop until decades after the actual exposure, and the amount of exposure is not strongly correlated to the likelihood of developing the disease. Some people who are exposed for long periods do not develop the disease while others who have small amount of indirect exposure for short periods do develop the disease.

Symptoms might include shortness of breath due to fluid building up between the lungs and the chest wall, coughing, chest and abdomen pain as well as more general symptoms such as weight loss and pain in the head and neck. It is a difficult disease to diagnose because all the symptoms can also indicate other less serious conditions. Diagnosis can be helped by chest X-ray, CT scan and biopsy (where a small piece of the affected tissue is examined under a microscope).

Because the cause of the disease is usually asbestos, and the link between asbestos and the disease has been established for many decades, there are many court cases where patients suffering from the disease claim against employers. The claims awarded can be very large, sometimes more than tens of millions of dollars in total.

Treatments are available, sometimes a combination of surgery, chemo and radiation therapies, and occasionally includes immunotherapy or other approaches. Clinical trials are usually available for some patients.

The mesothelioma definition is clarified above, and specifies what the disease is and how it affects the human body.

For more details see :- Mesothelioma Symptom

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