mesothelioma liver
A rare form of cancer called mesothelioma, a malignant tumor in the mesothelial tissues of the lungs and abdomen, resulting from the inhalation of asbestos. Its rarity is one of the reasons why many people are unaware of such a deadly disease. In fact, many people die of Mesothelioma undiagnosed. Although there is now a growing awareness of the dangers of asbestos to health, yet many have not heard of Mesothelioma and thus, have not understood its nature, causes, symptoms and treatment. Even Some doctors find it hard to detect Mesothelioma because its symptoms are similar to other diseases like lung cancer and pneumonia. It also takes decades for a patient who was exposed to asbestos to develop Mesothelioma – fifty years at most.
Being aware of Mesothelioma poses higher risks, because it deters diagnosis and treatment. A person undergoing treatment must know the different stages of cancer or the extent of the disease. Recoverability of mesothelioma and type of treatment depend on the stage of disease. There are basically two classification systems used for Pleural Mesothelioma (lungs): system TNM and Brighan system. These classification systems are also used in other cancers, however, the first is in common use. There is no method established to determine the stage of cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma (abdominal) so the TNM system is used.
There are three variables in the TNM system: tumor, lymph nodes and metastases. In the first phase of Mesothelioma, stage I, the malignant Mesothelioma cells start to grow and multiply only one layer of the pleura. The pleura is the membrane surrounding the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. However, there are some cases in which the pericardium (the membrane covering the heart) and diaphragm cover are already affected. In this case, the cancer patient is still in stage I mesothelioma.
In the second stage, the two layers of the pleura are already affected by Mesothelioma. Take note, however, that at this stage, it affects one side of the body. Normally, the pleura produces only small amount of lubricating fluid that allows easy expansion and contraction of the lungs. The excess fluid is absorbed by the blood and lymphatic vessels and there is a balance between the amount of fluid produced and removed. During the second stage Mesothelioma, fluid starts to accumulate between the membrane of the lungs and the membrane chest wall, causing a pleural effusion. The increase in the volume of fluid produced causes shortness of breath and chest pain. Other cancer patients Mesothelioma experience persistent dry cough. The diagnosis of pleural effusion is achieved through a chest radiograph.
Stage III Mesothelioma means that malignant cells have already spread to the chest wall, esophagus and lymph nodes from one part of the chest. The patient may suffer severe pain near the parties concerned. When not treated immediately, or when the Mesothelioma patient does not respond well to medication, the cancer may advance to the fourth stage. The fourth stage Mesothelioma is formidable since at this stage the Mesothelioma cells have penetrated into the bloodstream and other body organs like the liver, bones and brain. Lymph nodes on the other side of the chest may also be affected by Mesothelioma in stage IV.
Brighan classification system, on the other hand, determines whether the Mesothelioma can be surgically removed or not and whether the lymph nodes are affected or not. In stage I Mesothelioma, the lymph nodes are not affected and the patient can still recover through surgery. In stage II, surgery may still be executed but some lymph nodes have been infiltrated by cancer cells. In Stage III, the heart and chest wall are already affected, so the surgery is not advisable. Lymph nodes at this stage, however, may or not affected. In the final stage, Stage IV Mesothelioma, cancer cells have already gone to the bloodstream and other parts of the body such as heart, brain, bone and liver. In most cases, a patient who has reached stage IV Mesothelioma only has four to twenty four months of life.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – What are the Four Stages of Mesothelioma Cancer?
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