Types of Mesotheleomia
Mesotheleomia is a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. This cancer can be broken down further into three specific subsets – pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial. All three kings of mesotheleomia are very rare and deadly, but symptoms and treatment for each is slightly different.
What do Pleural, Peritoneal, and Pericardial Mesotheleomia have in Common?
Before we talk about how they are different, let’s talk about how they are alike. All three types of mesotheleomia affect people who have lived or worked around a mineral called asbestos. Asbestos was once used in thousands of products, and although it is highly regulated today, this was not always the case. When you’re near asbestos, small fibers of the mineral fill the air, and if you’re not wearing a respirator, you’ll breath in or swallow these microscopic pieces.
The problem is that asbestos fibers are pointed and jagged. When they enter the body, they tear at or embed in the soft tissue linings of your organs – specially, you lungs, abdominal cavity, or heart. The body tries to repair the problem, but other time, this can do more damage than good. Scar tissue builds up and the cells have a high likelihood of mutation. However, this all happens over the course of years or even decades. The scar tissue builds up little by little, so symptoms of mesotheleomia aren’t noticeable at first. By the time you see your doctor because the symptoms have worsened, the asbestos has already done a great deal of damage in the body and the mesotheleomia may be too advanced to effectively treat.
Pleural Mesotheleomia
Three out of every four cases of mesotheleomia are pleural, which means that the asbestos attacks the lining of the lungs. This happens when you inhale the asbestos fibers. Typically, pleural mesotheleomia can be diagnosed with an MRI or CT scan and tissue or fluid testing, but the symptoms of this kind of mesotheleomia are similar to chest colds and other breathing problems, so it usually takes patients a long time to go to the doctor.
Some of the most common symptoms of pleural mesotheleomia include chest pains, coughing, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. At first, you may just feel winded when doing physical exercise, which can be attributed to weight gain or aging, but over time, you may find it hard to breath even when sitting or laying down, and you may begin to cough up blood. As the cancer develops, fluid builds up around the lungs, which may cause a least one lung to collapse.
If you catch pleural mesotheleomia early enough, it is the easiest form of the cancer to treat. Generally, the problem can be solved with surgery. However, because the lunges are extremely sensitive and serve as a gateway for blood to all parts of the body, if the cancer is already at a stage three, there is less of a chance for successful treatment.
Peritoneal Mesotheleomia
Peritoneal is the second most common form of mesotheleomia. This cancer affects the lining of the abdominal cavity, the peritoneal, and affects 10% to 20% of all mesotheleomia patients. In general, peritoneal mesotheleomia is harder to treat than pleural mesotheleomia because the lining is larger, it connects to more organs, and it spreads to other parts of the body sooner. Peritoneal occurs when you inadvertently swallow asbestos fibers.
With peritoneal mesotheleomia, your symptoms may include pain in the abdomen, weight loss, nausea, and digestive problems. Some people may notice fluid building up in the abdomen or large masses. As the cancer develops, eating may be next to impossible. Treatment here is possible with surgery, but the prognosis is typically grimmer for peritoneal mesotheleomia patients.
Pericardial Mesotheleomia
Lastly, you could develop pericardial mesotheleomia, which affects the tissue lining the heart, the pericardium. This form of mesotheleomia is extremely rare, affecting less than 5% of all patients. Unfortunately, it is also the deadliest form of the cancer.
Pericardial mesotheleomia symptoms include chest pain and difficulty breathing. Your heartbeat may also be irregular, though this symptom isn’t usually noticeable. Surgery is very risky in this area, and usually, the symptoms are so mild that patients don’t get checked by a doctor until it is too late.
Other Forms of Mesotheleomia?
Note that there is only other form of mesotheleomia, but it is so rare that less than one hundred cases in the entire world have been recorded. This type of mesotheleomia attacks the tunica vaginalis, or the testicular tissue lining. Because it is so rare, not much is known about this kind of cancer.
