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All Pericardial Mesothelioma Information FAQ
What is pericardial mesothelioma? Pericardial mesothelioma is a serious heart condition which consists of cancerous cells building up on the lining of the heart. Similarly to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, this is a terminal illness...

Can Washington Mesothelioma Attorneys Help My Case?
Washington Mesothelioma Attorneys have a proven track record when it comes to securing compensation for those that have been wronged by asbestos manufacturers. In fact, most lawsuits filed by Mesothelioma attorneys settle quickly and result in a...

cancer
Living In Fear Of Mesothelioma First of all, you may be wondering what mesothelioma is, and why I should be scared of it ?..... Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is the medical name for cancer of the lung, and is usually caused by exposure to...

The Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which is being discovered more and more frequently in elderly men. The most common cause of mesothelioma is from asbestos exposure and affects the membrane of many of the most vital internal organs such as the lungs...

Who Can be at risk for Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare disease caused as a result of malignant cancerous cells lining the patient's body cavities such as chest, abdominal region or the area surrounding the heart. It is typically associated with exposure to asbestos which has...

 
What is Mesothelioma? - The Basics

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that effects the lining of the chest, abdomen or heart. Most people who have or have had mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos about 35-40 years before contracting the disease. Asbestos have been known to come from certain insulators, cements, roofs and household cleaners, among other things. An exposure to asbestos for as little as 2 or 3 months can result in mesothelioma, however most asbestos have been removed from products since the 1980's. The symptoms of this disease are not specific, which can result in a delay in diagnoses. Some early symptoms of mesothelioma are pneumonia, shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough.

This cancer can be fatal and spread to other areas of your body through your blood. Cat scans, X-rays and MRI's are used to diagnose this cancer. If you are aware of being exposed to asbestos in the past, please contact your doctor immediately, as the sooner you are diagnosed, the more successful treatment


will be. If you are not sure that you were exposed to asbestos, but have worked in construction or with house held cleaners before the 1980's, you should ask your doctor to get tested just to be safe. Mesothelioma is usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. If you are diagnosed with the disease while it is in a late stage, the expected survival rate is only 8-12 months, however patients who are diagnosed early have been known to have a much better survival rate, about 40% living for five years.

This is a very serious disease, and people with any suspicion of being exposed to asbestos before should immediately contact their doctors, in order to catch the disease while it is still in it's early stages.

About the author:

Joanne Mackenzie writes about various topics. This article is free to re-print as long as nothing is changed, all links remained intacked, the bio remains in full and the rel="nofollow" tag is not added to any of the links. Thank-you