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What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. The most common site is the pleura (the outer layer of the lungs and internal chest wall), but may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), heart, pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. It has also been suggested that washing the clothes of family members who worked with asbestos can put someone at risk for developing mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer, no association between mesothelioma and smoking but smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-caused cancer. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).

The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis can be suspected with chest X-rays and CT scans, and confirmed by examination of a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. This allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carry a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing....
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hai saya farland.seseorang yg sedang memahami dan menikmati dunia blog... I'am Blogger and Javascript Programmer.

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