What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the tissues which cover the lungs or abdomen. The lining around the lungs is the pleura and in the abdomen it is called the peritoneum.
Mesothelioma most commonly occurs in the pleura - the linings of the lungs. There are two layers of pleura - one lining the lungs and the other lining the chest wall. These two layers have some fluid in between them so they can slide over each other easily when you breathe in and out.
In a similar way, the lining of the abdomen also has two layers - one lining the bowel and abdominal organs and the other lining the abdominal wall. A mesothelioma occurring in the peritoneum is around twelve times less common than a mesothelioma occurring in the pleura.
Very rarely, mesothelioma can occur around the heart or the testes. This leaflet will not discuss these rare types of mesothelioma.
What causes mesothelioma?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Certain risk factors increase the chance of certain cancers forming. (See separate leaflet What causes cancer? for more details.)
The most important risk factor for getting mesothelioma is being exposed to asbestos in the past. Around nine out of ten people with a mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos in the past. A mesothelioma may occur 15-20 years after you have been exposed to asbestos.
Compensation is possible if your mesothelioma is due to asbestos exposure. This can be done either through benefits paid by the government or, if you believe your mesothelioma is due to asbestos exposure within a work environment, by suing the employer in question for the period (or periods) during which you were exposed to asbestos.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a material that was used in buildings in the past. It is an insulating material that is both heat and fire resistant. There are different types of asbestos: white, brown and blue. Although they are all harmful, blue and brown asbestos are the most strongly linked with mesotheliomas and they have not been imported into the UK since 1985. However, they are still present in some buildings and equipment produced before the ban. White asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1999.
Asbestos materials which are left undisturbed are probably safe. It is asbestos dust or fibres which cause the harm when they are inhaled (breathed in) or ingested (swallowed).
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
The symptoms depend on the site of the mesothelioma. It often takes many years after being exposed to asbestos for mesothelioma to occur.
In the early stages, there may be no symptoms at all. Both types of mesothelioma can cause nonspecific symptoms such as increasing tiredness, weight loss, increased sweating and a reduction in your appetite.
When mesothelioma develops in the pleura, this causes the pleura to thicken and it may press inwards on the lung.
Symptoms may then include:
Abdominal swelling may occur if you have mesothelioma in your peritoneum. The lining of the abdomen becomes thickened and fluid can collect in the abdomen (ascites).
If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body then various other symptoms can develop.
How is mesothelioma diagnosed?
It can often be difficult to diagnose mesothelioma, as the initial symptoms can be quite vague. Mesothelioma often starts as a lot of tiny lumps (nodules) in the pleura, which may not show up on scans or X-rays until they are quite large.
The most common initial investigation for a pleural mesothelioma is a chest X-ray. Other scans - for example, CT or MRI scans - are often performed for both types of mesothelioma.
As for all suspected cancers, the diagnosis is usually confirmed by obtaining a small sample or 'biopsy'. The biopsy is then examined under the microscope to look for the abnormal cells of cancer. One or more of the following procedures may be done to obtain a sample for testing:
references: http://www.patient.co.uk
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the tissues which cover the lungs or abdomen. The lining around the lungs is the pleura and in the abdomen it is called the peritoneum.
Mesothelioma most commonly occurs in the pleura - the linings of the lungs. There are two layers of pleura - one lining the lungs and the other lining the chest wall. These two layers have some fluid in between them so they can slide over each other easily when you breathe in and out.
In a similar way, the lining of the abdomen also has two layers - one lining the bowel and abdominal organs and the other lining the abdominal wall. A mesothelioma occurring in the peritoneum is around twelve times less common than a mesothelioma occurring in the pleura.
Very rarely, mesothelioma can occur around the heart or the testes. This leaflet will not discuss these rare types of mesothelioma.
What causes mesothelioma?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. Certain risk factors increase the chance of certain cancers forming. (See separate leaflet What causes cancer? for more details.)
The most important risk factor for getting mesothelioma is being exposed to asbestos in the past. Around nine out of ten people with a mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos in the past. A mesothelioma may occur 15-20 years after you have been exposed to asbestos.
Compensation is possible if your mesothelioma is due to asbestos exposure. This can be done either through benefits paid by the government or, if you believe your mesothelioma is due to asbestos exposure within a work environment, by suing the employer in question for the period (or periods) during which you were exposed to asbestos.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a material that was used in buildings in the past. It is an insulating material that is both heat and fire resistant. There are different types of asbestos: white, brown and blue. Although they are all harmful, blue and brown asbestos are the most strongly linked with mesotheliomas and they have not been imported into the UK since 1985. However, they are still present in some buildings and equipment produced before the ban. White asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1999.
Asbestos materials which are left undisturbed are probably safe. It is asbestos dust or fibres which cause the harm when they are inhaled (breathed in) or ingested (swallowed).
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
The symptoms depend on the site of the mesothelioma. It often takes many years after being exposed to asbestos for mesothelioma to occur.
In the early stages, there may be no symptoms at all. Both types of mesothelioma can cause nonspecific symptoms such as increasing tiredness, weight loss, increased sweating and a reduction in your appetite.
When mesothelioma develops in the pleura, this causes the pleura to thicken and it may press inwards on the lung.
Symptoms may then include:
- Shortness of breath. This may be due to the pleura becoming thickened and pressing in towards your lung. In addition, an increase in the amount of fluid may also collect between the two layers of the pleura (a pleural effusion).
- Chest pain. This can be quite severe and can be due to the mesothelioma pressing on the nerves and even the bones near your lung.
- Cough.
- Hoarse voice.
Abdominal swelling may occur if you have mesothelioma in your peritoneum. The lining of the abdomen becomes thickened and fluid can collect in the abdomen (ascites).
If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body then various other symptoms can develop.
How is mesothelioma diagnosed?
It can often be difficult to diagnose mesothelioma, as the initial symptoms can be quite vague. Mesothelioma often starts as a lot of tiny lumps (nodules) in the pleura, which may not show up on scans or X-rays until they are quite large.
The most common initial investigation for a pleural mesothelioma is a chest X-ray. Other scans - for example, CT or MRI scans - are often performed for both types of mesothelioma.
As for all suspected cancers, the diagnosis is usually confirmed by obtaining a small sample or 'biopsy'. The biopsy is then examined under the microscope to look for the abnormal cells of cancer. One or more of the following procedures may be done to obtain a sample for testing:
- Fine-needle biopsy. This is where a doctor inserts a thin needle through the chest or abdominal wall to obtain a small sample of tissue. X-ray pictures of the suspected tumour help to guide the doctor to insert the needle into a suspected tumour. The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic to make the test as painless as possible.
- Pleural tap. If you have an accumulation of fluid between the pleura, some fluid can be drained with a fine needle (similar to the above). The fluid is examined for cancer cells.
- Ascitic tap. If you have an accumulation of fluid between the peritoneum, some fluid can be drained with a fine needle.
references: http://www.patient.co.uk
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