Mesothelioma is cancer of Mesothelium, a membrane which covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. The Mesothelium consists of two layers of cells which produce a lubricating fluid between these two layers and help in easy gliding and movement of organs of the body, like the heart and lungs against their surrounding structures.
In this disease, the cells of the Mesothelium membrane become abnormal and start dividing uncontrollably. They spread from their origin to other parts of the body and damage nearby tissues and organs. The typically affected areas are the lining of the lungs, heart and the abdomen. The life expectancy of Mesothelioma is bleak as reports claim it to be generally less than a year after diagnosis.
Asbestos occurs naturally as a fibrous substance which was used widely in many industries in the 20th century. The major cause factor for Mesothelioma is asbestos exposure, even though in many cases, obvious asbestos exposure is absent. Asbestos exposure involves ingestion or inhalation of asbestos fibers into the body wherein they enter the body cavities and cause inflammation or infection.
There are different types of Mesothelioma cancer.
- The major one found commonly in about 70 percent cases is called Pleural Mesothelioma which affects the lining of the lungs.
- Peritoneal Mesothelioma (affecting lining of abdominal cavity) is found in 20 percent cases.
- The remaining cases are inclusive of Pericardial Mesothelioma (affecting lining of heart) and Testicular Mesothelioma (affects tunica vaginalis of the testicles).
The symptoms of Mesothelioma generally do not come into existence for a good 20 to 50 years after initial asbestos exposure.
- Pleural symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent cough due to buildup of fluid in the pleura.
- Weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling, bowel obstruction anemia, fever and nausea caused due to accumulation of fluid in abdomen are symptoms of the peritoneal type.
- Similarly, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, difficulty breathing, night sweats are symptoms belonging to the Pericardial category while painful or painless testicular lumps are the most common symptoms of Testicular Mesothelioma.
Review of a patient’s medical history followed by physical examination form the preliminary stage of Mesothelioma diagnosis. If any sort of abnormalities are detected, the patient has to undergo several diagnostic tests which majorly include medical imaging scans like X-Rays, CT scans, PET scans, MRI scans, etc. An assortment of these tests helps in identifying the location, size and type of the cancer. Subsequently, biopsy procedures are conducted to examine the fluid samples and tissues for the presence of cancerous cells. The most common treatments of Mesothelioma recommended by doctors are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Asbestos information services
The main federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation is OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). In industries that use asbestos, the Department of Labor ensures that employers adhere to OSHA compliance norms, which regulate the workers and their environment. To protect the workers from asbestos exposure, safety regulations have been framed by OSHA which aim to reduce or exterminate the health hazards of asbestos ingestion/inhalation to human life.
Some Useful Phone Numbers include U.S. EPA Asbestos Ombudsman 800-368-5888, Cal/OSHA Asbestos Consultants Unit 916-574-2993, Asbestos Information Association 703-412-1150, NCI's Cancer Information Service 800-422-6237, CDHS' IAQ Assistance Line 510-540-2476, CDHS' Hazard Evaluation System and Information Service (HESIS) 510-540-2115
EPA Asbestos information
EPA stands for Environmental Protection Agency. It is an independent federal agency in the United States of America, which coordinates programs aimed at reducing pollution and protects the environment.
According to EPA, Asbestos is a mineral fiber, identifiable with only a special microscope. They are of a wide variety and in the past, they were used in industries because of their property of strengthening products and provision of fire resistance and heat insulation.
They have listed several places where one can find asbestos, namely steam pipes, boilers, furnace ducts insulated with asbestos, soundproofing or decorative material, door gaskets, cement sheet, millboards used as insulation around furnaces, asbestos cement roofing, houses built between 1930 to 1950 using asbestos insulation, etc.
Their advice is to not disturb asbestos products in any way and regularly check them to ensure that they aren’t damaged in any way. Any damaged asbestos product should be carefully repaired or removed with the help of a professional as any wear or tear of such a product may release a lot of asbestos fibers in the air. Sealing or encapsulation, that is coating with material so that the fibers are bound together along with covering which involves placing something over or around the material that contains asbestos so that the fibers do not escape are essential methods of treatment of pollution of asbestos products.
For more detailed information, one can visit http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html.