MESOTHELIOMA

But it is found to be harmless to its occupancies unless disturbed: remodeling.

Mesothelioma is a cancer which affects the mesothelium. Mesothelium is made up of mesothelia cells which is a protective lining covering all the internal organs and body cavities: the thoracic cavity, the abdominal cavity, and the heart sac. The thoracic cavity houses the following: the heart, the great vessels-the aorta and the pulmonary artery-the trachea, the bronchi, the lungs, the esophagus, the lymphatic system, and the thymus gland. The abdominal cavity consists of the digestive tract, the liver and the pancreas, the spleen, the kidneys, and the adrenal gland. The heart sac is a membrane which encases and protects the heart.

There are four types of Mesothelioma cancer: Pleural Mesothelioma, which is the lining of the lungs. This is the most common of the four and it makes up seventy-five percent of the reported cases. Pertineal Mesothelioma, which is the lining of the abdominal cavity and it makes up between ten to twenty percent of the reported cases. Pericardial Mesothelioma which is the membrane that surrounds the heart and it makes up bewtween one to five percent of reported cases. Finally, testicular mesothelioma, which is very rare and less than one hundred cases are reported.

Doctors and researchers alike find it difficult to diagnose Mesothelioma because it can reside dormant within the human body anywhere from ten to fifty years without any complications or signs. Symptoms of Mesothelioma are also hard to accurately determine because they can be ordinary symptoms of the flu or mislead the doctor in the direction of another disease. Other then long term exposure to asbestos, there is no real scientific evidence to point to the reasons as to why the asbestos affect the Mesothelium in such an aggressive manner, but they have come to the conclusion that the end result is always cellular damage. Unlike other cancers, Mesothelioma has a high percentage of fatality and there are only two types of treatment: chemotherapy-if the cancer is diagnosed in the early stages-and treatment to help those who are in the late stages of Mesothelioma cope with the pain.

In the United States alone, there will be at least three thousand cases of Mesothelioma reported in 2008. There are many support groups for those diagnosed with the cancer and informative websites to find out more about Mesothelioma and its effects on the human body and how to treat it. The most important step to fighting Mesothelioma is to be informed, which means getting a regular health check up and personally knowing your body so you can know when something is wrong and should immediately be seen by a doctor.