Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells that make up the pleura surrounding the lung. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and fatal tumor.
Is mesothelioma the deadliest cancer?
What is the main cause of mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma most often appears in adults over the age of 50, but it is indicated here that the incubation period of malignant mesothelioma is very long and exceeds twenty
years, which means that at least twenty years may pass from the moment of exposure to the causative agents until the appearance of malignant mesothelioma and symptoms.
Young people may develop malignant mesothelioma if they were exposed to asbestos in childhood.
Symptoms of malignant mesothelioma
There are no specific, specific signs of malignant mesothelioma, and they may include shortness of breath, chest pain, and discomfort.
Causes and risk factors for malignant mesothelioma
Research has shown that the main cause of malignant mesothelioma is the inhalation of asbestos.
There are different types of asbestos filaments, but the most dangerous type that leads to mesothelioma is the type known as amphibole.
This species is characterized by being long and small in diameter. It is inhaled into the lungs when exposed to it.
It reaches the small air cavities inside the lung and is deposited in them or adheres to the covering membrane of the lungs, causing changes that eventually lead to the development of a tumor.
In addition to exposure to asbestos, there are risk factors for malignant mesothelioma, but it is less prevalent than inhalation of asbestos, and smoking is not one of the causes that leads
to malignant mesothelioma, but if smoking is combined with asbestos exposure, then the risk of developing mesothelioma doubles. malicious many times.
Complications of malignant mesothelioma
Complications include:
Shortness of breath.
Pleural effusion.
Lung failure.
Pneumonia and respiratory infections.
Shortness of breath.
Malignant mesothelioma diagnosis
Here are the most important details about how malignant mesothelioma is diagnosed:
Malignant mesothelioma is initially diagnosed by a chest X-ray, which shows the presence of fluid filling one of the pleural cavities, causing lung atrophy on the same side of the injury.
Malignant mesothelioma is diagnosed at a later stage by a CT scan of the chest area, which clearly reveals fluid and masses in the pleural cavity.
The extent of the tumor can be known, for example, by detecting enlarged lymph nodes, and examining the extent of injury to the membrane of the heart and large blood vessels.
Confirming a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma requires a tissue biopsy. A biopsy is usually done during a CT scan and the sample is extracted with a needle, but the diagnosis is
often not made in this way but rather a biopsy that is done in a surgical procedure via thoracoscopy (thoracoscopy) or through a chest incision.
Malignant mesothelioma treatment
The most effective chemotherapy drugs for mesothelioma cancer are cisplatin and pemetrexed, the only two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of mesothelioma. Patients who want to try other drugs can do so through trials. Patients.
Surgical treatment is usually the main treatment for malignant mesothelioma, which is divided into two main types:
first type
The entire lung, including the tumor in the pleural layer, as well as the diaphragm on the same side and the heart membrane, is removed, and this surgery is called extrapleural pneumonectomy.
2. The second type
This type of surgery is limited to removing only the membrane that covers the affected lung, and sometimes the diaphragm and envelope of the heart are removed.
Today, there is widespread debate about the most appropriate and effective treatment for malignant mesothelioma, and there is no consensus on the preferred treatment.
Radiation therapy is not effective as a single treatment and is often adopted after surgery or in combination with chemotherapy, which often has minimal and minimal reactions.
Prevention of malignant mesothelioma
Asbestos exposure is the largest risk factor for mesothelioma, so the best way to reduce your risk is to limit exposure to asbestos at home, in public buildings, and at work.