Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart). more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
Mac Ardle disease
Macroglobulinemia
Macular degeneration
Mad cow disease
Maghazaji syndrome
Mal de debarquement
Malaria
Malignant hyperthermia
Mallory-Weiss syndrome
Malouf syndrome
Mannosidosis
Marburg fever
Marfan syndrome
MASA syndrome
Mast cell disease
Mastigophobia
Mastocytosis
Mastoiditis
MAT deficiency
Maturity onset diabetes...
McArdle disease
McCune-Albright syndrome
Measles
Mediterranean fever
Megaloblastic anemia
MELAS
Meleda Disease
Melioidosis
Melkersson-Rosenthal...
Melophobia
Meniere's disease
Meningioma
Meningitis
Mental retardation
Mercury (element)
Mesothelioma
Metabolic acidosis
Metabolic disorder
Metachondromatosis
Methylmalonic acidemia
Microcephaly
Microphobia
Microphthalmia
Microscopic polyangiitis
Microsporidiosis
Microtia, meatal atresia...
Migraine
Miller-Dieker syndrome
Mitochondrial Diseases
Mitochondrial...
Mitral valve prolapse
Mobius syndrome
MODY syndrome
Moebius syndrome
Molluscum contagiosum
MOMO syndrome
Mondini Dysplasia
Mondor's disease
Monoclonal gammopathy of...
Morquio syndrome
Motor neuron disease
Motorphobia
Moyamoya disease
MPO deficiency
MR
Mucopolysaccharidosis
Mucopolysaccharidosis...
Mullerian agenesis
Multiple chemical...
Multiple endocrine...
Multiple hereditary...
Multiple myeloma
Multiple organ failure
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple system atrophy
Mumps
Muscular dystrophy
Myalgic encephalomyelitis
Myasthenia gravis
Mycetoma
Mycophobia
Mycosis fungoides
Myelitis
Myelodysplasia
Myelodysplastic syndromes
Myelofibrosis
Myeloperoxidase deficiency
Myoadenylate deaminase...
Myocarditis
Myoclonus
Myoglobinuria
Myopathy
Myopia
Myositis
Myositis ossificans
Myxedema
Myxozoa
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of occupational exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The X-ray may reveal pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and increases suspicion of mesothelioma. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If a large amount of fluid is present, abnormal cells may be detected by cytology if this fluid is aspirated with a syringe. For pleural fluid this is done by a pleural tap or chest drain, in ascites with an paracentesis or ascitic drain and in a pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis, heart failure).

If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a histopathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma (100 Questions & Answers) $12.02 Malignant Mesothelioma : Advances in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Translational Therapies $129.25
Pathology of Malignant Mesothelioma $101.30 Mesothelioma $162.89
Surviving Cancer $0.93 Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma $19.93
Co-Existing With Cancer or You Thought Living with your In-Laws Was Difficult $6.41 Mesothelioma, An Issue of Hematology/Oncology Clinics $9.00
Mesothelioma - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References $48.95 Asbestos-Related Malignancy $349.95

Extrapleural pneumonectomy or vats pleurectomy / decortication for early stage malignant mesothelioma? A case control study
PURPOSE: To examine whether radical surgery has benefits over debulking for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MM), we compared the results of extrapleural ...
Malignant pleural mesothelioma with cavity formation in a 16-year-old boy
A 16-year-old Japanese boy was admitted to the department of internal medicine of our hospital with complaints of cough, fever, and left-sided pleuritic ...
Malignant pleural mesothelioma : update, current management, and newer therapeutic strategies
The diagnosis and management of malignant pleural mesothelioma are major challenges that often frustrate both patient and clinician alike. Occupational ...
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma By Bruce W. S. Robinson and A. Philippe Chahinian, eds. London: Taylor & Francis, A Martin Dunitz Book, 2002; 366 pp, $145.00 Malignant ...
Malignant pleural mesothelioma: the puzzling role of gene-environment interaction
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a relatively uncommon and yet incurable tumor that is aggressive and highly lethal. After the occurrence of mesothelioma ...
Gene expression profiling identifies matriptase overexpression in malignant mesothelioma
Study objective: We investigated the gene expression profiles of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) specimens to identify novel genes that are potentially ...
Radiation therapy in preventing metastatic cancer in patients who have diagnostic procedures to identify malignant mesothelioma - Clinical Trial Review
This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by Cancer Research Campaign Clinical Trials Centre Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays ...
Surgical treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma : a review
Despite many years of clinical research, there is still no effective therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Untreated, the prognosis is poor, ...

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay