Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma: An Overview

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is found in the thin layers of tissues that surround your internal organs. This tissue is known as the mesothelium. Somewhere between 2000 and 3000 new cases of mesothelioma occur each year in the United States.


Since mesothelium can be found around most of your major organs, the type of mesothelioma depends on where the cancer is found.


  • Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis – This mesothelioma is found around the testicles
  • Pericardial mesothelioma – This mesothelioma is found around the heart
  • Peritoneal mesothelioma – This mesothelioma is found around the abdomen
  • Pleural malignant mesothelioma – This mesothelioma is found around the lungs. It is the most common form of mesothelioma

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma has various symptoms. These can vary depending on how far the cancer has developed and where the cancer occurs.


Peritoneal mesothelioma can cause abdominal pain and swelling, a change of bowel habits, lumps in the abdomen, and unexplained weight loss.


Pleural mesothelioma can cause shortness of breath, painful breathing or coughing, chest pain, lumps of tissue on the chest, and unexplained weight loss.


Pericardial mesothelioma and mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis are both very rare, so little is known about their symptoms. It is thought that symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma would be chest pains and difficulty breathing, and mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis would be first seen as a mass on the testicle.


If you are experiencing any of the listed symptoms, you should see our doctor. The symptoms are not related only to mesothelioma, but may be indicative of another medical condition. Only your doctor will be able to run the tests to find out definitively.


Causes of Mesothelioma

All cancers begin as genetic mutations with a cell. These mutations cause the cell to grow out of control, instead of dying off like it naturally should. The result is a tumor. From there, cancer cells can invade healthy tissue and spread throughout the body. It is not thoroughly understood what genetic mutations will cause mesothelioma, though certain factors are known to increase the risk. This includes inherited conditions, environment, overall health, and your lifestyle.


Risk Factors

The main risk factor for mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. When asbestos is used or disturbed, tiny particles break off into the air. These fibers can then be inhaled or swallowed. When this happens, the fibers become lodged in the body, and the resulting irritation can lead to mesothelioma.


People who have been exposed to high levels of asbestos, particularly over a long period of time or at a young age, are at the highest risk for mesothelioma. It can take decades for mesothelioma to develop. You may be at risk if you worked directly with asbestos, lived with someone who worked with asbestos, are a smoker, were exposed to SV40 (from the polio vaccines given between 1955 and 1963), received X-rays prior to the 1950s, or have a family history of mesothelioma.


Complications of Mesothelioma

There are complications to mesothelioma as it spreads, particularly with pleural mesothelioma. Over time, the cancer can grow and cause:


  • Chest pain
  • Chest pain
  • Death, which is usually from related complications, such as heart or lung failure or stroke
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Pain
  • Pleural effusion, or the accumulation of fluid in the chest
  • Superior vena cava syndrome, or swelling caused by pressure on the large vein running from your upper body to your heart

Tests and Diagnosis

If you have the symptoms of mesothelioma and a medical history that would indicate asbestos exposure, your doctor will want to perform a thorough examination. This may include a physical exam to check for tumors and other symptoms, as well as X-rays and CT scans of your chest and abdomen. You may need numerous tests to rule out other conditions before your doctor will diagnose you as having mesothelioma. This is because mesothelioma is rare and does not have its own specific symptoms.


Once your doctor thinks that you may have mesothelioma, a biopsy will usually be ordered. A biopsy is the only concrete way to diagnose mesothelioma. There are different types of biopsies, and depending on the size of the tumor and its location, your doctor will decide the procedure that is right for you. This may include fine needle aspiration, thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, thoracotomy, or laparotomy. Once a sample of the tissue is removed, it will be analyzed under a microscope to diagnose the type of mesothelioma and develop your treatment plan.


Stages of Mesothelioma

After diagnosis, your doctor will try to determine how extensive the cancer is, and he or she will give you a stage that the cancer is in. Diagnostics may include X-rays, CT scans, MRI, or PET scans. This is generally only done for pleural mesothelioma since the other types are even rarer and not as well documented. In pleural mesothelioma, the stages are as followed:


  • Stage I – The mesothelioma is localized to one portion of the lining of the chest
  • Stage II – The mesothelioma has spread beyond the lining, usually to the lung itself or the diaphragm
  • Stage III – The mesothelioma has spread to the other chest structures or the lymph nodes
  • Stage IV – The mesothelioma has metastasized to other areas of the body, including the brain, lymph nodes, or other areas of the lung

Treatments for Mesothelioma

There are different elements that will determine the treatment of your mesothelioma. The location of the tumor and the stage of the cancer are often the deciding factors. In many cases, mesothelioma is so aggressive that there is no real cure. Mesothelioma also tends to remain undiagnosed until it has become advanced, making it difficult to remove through operation. In most cases, the treatments involved are designed to slow down the growth of the cancer and keep you as comfortable as possible.


Your exact treatment is a plan that you will want to discuss with your doctor. For some, the pain of the treatments is not worth the small chance of improvement, and others want to try every treatment possible. Some prefer only symptom management so that they can enjoy the remaining time that they have with their families. Treatment options may include:


  • Surgery – This is generally only done if the mesothelioma is caught at an early stage. It can be difficult to remove all of the cancer, so often surgery is done to help alleviate symptoms. This includes removing fluid or tissue, debulking a tumor to remove as much of it as possible, or removing a lung and infected tissue
  • Chemotherapy – This treatment uses chemicals to kill off the cancer. It can slow down the growth of mesothelioma cells that cannot be removed surgically, as well as help shrink the tumor to make it easier to remove.
  • Radiation therapy – This strategy uses high-energy beams on specific spots of your body to help reduce the signs and symptoms of mesothelioma. Because of the vital organs that are located in the chest, only low doses can be used. Radiation can also help prevent mesothelioma from infecting a biopsy site.
  • Clinical trials – These are tests of new treatments that are not available to the general public. A cure is not guaranteed, but they may offer hope if other methods are not working or cannot be used due to the location or stage of the cancer
  • Alternative medicine – These treatments are often used to help alleviate the shortness of breath associated with pleural mesothelioma, and may include acupuncture, breath training, and relaxation exercises

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, or think that you may have mesothelioma, it is important to talk to a doctor about what treatment plans are available for you as soon as possible.