Mesothelioma: An Overview
A membrane called the mesothelium covers some of the vital organs of the human body. This membrane secretes a fluid, which acts as a lubricant, which in turn facilitates easy movement of the organs within the body. Cancer of the mesothelial tissue is known as Mesothelioma. This form of malignancy affects a portion of tissue in the form of small masses of tumors. This diffuse nature of Mesothelioma makes the surgical treatment a very complex one.
Multiple forms of Mesothelioma have been found out. These forms vary as per the origin of the tumor. Origin site is the location where the tumor initiates and the Histological Subtype are the types of cells that get affected by the spread of the disease. Pleural Mesothelioma, which attacks the pleural tissue covering the lungs, has been the most common form of Mesothelioma. The cancer might even spread from the pleural tissue to the lungs. The Peritoneal Mesothelioma, a cancer of the mesothelium surrounding the abdomen is another common type of Mesothelioma. The Pericardial Mesothelioma, which attacks the pericardium, the lining of the heart and the tunica vaginalis testis, the Mesothelioma of the male reproductive tissue, are almost rare.
Diagnosis of the disease becomes a bit easier by considering the histological subtype. The different forms of histological subtypes are Epitheloid Mesothelioma attacking the epithelial cells, Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma attacking sarcomatous cells and the Bi-phasic Mesothelioma attacking both these types of cells. Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma is the most difficult form in terms of favorable response after a treatment.
Mesothelioma is caused due to an exposure with asbestos. In New York, thousands of new Mesothelioma cases are diagnosed every year. This disease is very common to factory workers working regularly with asbestos. Mesothelioma has a long latency period and one can expect to be contracted with the disease even after 70 years of initial exposure to asbestos. The New York factories knew the ill effect of asbestos, but were still indifferent to bring awareness. There lies the tragedy!