Mesothelioma Information

Mesothelioma is a dangerous cancer caused by asbestos.

Asbestos was used heavily in construction, industry, the Navy,
even household products and appliances. It is still present in
many homes, schools, and office buildings. Mesothelioma
can arise from small exposures, and even as much as 50 years
later. As a result, each year many thousands people develop
mesothelioma, and millions of us are at risk.
mesothelioma_lung_normalmesothelioma_lung_asbestos

As under normal conditions, the cells in the human body divide and grow in an orderly, controlled manner. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and rapidly form more cells in an uncontrolled way, forming a mass of tissue. This mass of tissue is called a tumor, or lesion. Tumors can either be malignant or benign.

Malignant tumors can invade surrounding tissue. Cells from malignant tumors can also break away, usually by way of the bloodstream, and travel to other parts of the body, where new tumors may form. This is how cancer spreads. The term for this is metastasis. A tumor that forms in this way is always made up of cells like those of the original site. When a tumor is not malignant, it is called a benign tumor. Benign tumors can often be removed with surgery and usually do not recur. The cells in benign tumors do not invade other tissues or spread to other parts of the body. In other words, these tumors do not typically metastasize.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and debilitating form of cancer
caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. When asbestos particles
are inhaled or swallowed, they bypass the body’s natural defense
systems, lodging themselves in the lungs and abdomen. The sharp,
microscopic asbestos fibers eventually make their way to the
outer edge of the chest and abdominal cavities and into a membrane
called the mesothelium.
The mesothelium, a double-layered protective membrane, surrounds all the organs of the human body and is vital to their proper function. The mesothelium keeps the organs in place while simultaneously lubricating them, allowing them to flex and move with breathing and other movement.Asbestos fibers cause lesions and scarring on the mesothelium, ultimately leading to the formation of tumors. The damaged cells secrete large amounts of a clear fluid that presses on the lungs and other organs, causing severe discomfort. In addition to these fluid secretions, aggressive tumor growth in later stages can lead to the rapid spread of cancer throughout the chest and abdomen, as well as cardiac or respiratory failure.

Mesothelioma progresses extremely slowly. The cancer may take anywhere from 25 to 50 years to show symptoms. Often, when a victim is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the disease has already reached an advanced stage and permanent damage has already occurred

This site can be define as a tool to give mesothelioma
patients and their families and also other people to know
the latest and most relevant information about mesothelioma
asbestos cancer and all related things. Help to better
understand and learning that mesothelioma cancer is very
difficult. The more we know about the condition, the better
prepared we’ll be to cope with it.