In as much as the exposure to asbestos may lead to various infection of various areas in our body, the cancerous cells of mesothelioma may occur as different malignant mesotheliomas. The types of malignant mesothelioma are distinguished primarily by the area where the first grow in the body, typically the linings of the lungs or the abdomen, yet also rarely in the linings of the heart or testicles.
The first type of malignant mesothelioma is malignant pleural mesothelioma, which is known to account for about seventy percent of mesothelioma cases, and it occurs in the mesothelioal membrane surrounding the chest cavity as well as lungs. As the most generally occurring form of malignancy, pleural mesothelioma has had more study invested in it, and there are a great number of treatment options that are available for it. Second, there is malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, which is recognized as the one representing about 15 – 20 % of all cases in mesothelioma, and it is found in the lining of the abdominal cavity. A relatively new therapy named hyperthermicintraperitoneal chemotherapy, abbreviated into HIPET, has posed some significant success in treating malignant peritoneal mesothelioma effectively. Lastly, malignant mesothelioma also may occur as malignant pericardial mesothelioma, which is also among the rarest of known malignancies, and represents just one percent or even less of mesothelioma diagnosis. It usually occurs in the mesothelial lining of the heart, and it differs from the other variants in that it has been known to take place in younger individuals. It has the worst prognoses of malignant mesothelioma types.
How can Malignant Mesothelioma be Diagnosed?
The earliest signs of malignant mesothelioma include chest pain, the difficulty in breathing, chronic cough, the shortness of breath, or the difficulty in swallowing. But, since these symptoms are also related to other conditions, further diagnostic procedures are commonly needed to make an accurate diagnosis. Some of the generally opted diagnostic tests include imaging scans, which include X-ray, MRI, CT scan, or PET scan, blood tests (assays which are meant to look for biomarkers in bloodstream), and biopsies (taking the tissue samples for more focused study using microscope). Due to the long latency period, misdiagnosis is so easy with malignant mesothelioma, since the disease’s symptoms so soundly resemble those of other related ailments such as lung cancer or other respiratory sickness. For this reason, people that are at high-risk of mesothelioma because of the exposure to asbestos should consult with physicians and cancer centers that are well recognized in the treatment and diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma.
To deal with this dangerous cancer, patients of mesothelioma and their families can opt for several resources, which will be really helpful to get treatments, consultations, and financial supports as well as attorney consultation. These include requesting a free malignant mesothelioma treatment guide, connecting with top mesothelioma doctors, locating the nearest comprehensive cancer center, signing up for our malignant mesothelioma treatment alert, speaking to a mesothelioma survivor, and getting financial assistance available to deal with the costly treatment of mesothelioma.
