A Quick Guide to Mesothelioma

by Gerard Simington
When you talk about the health risks caused by asbestos, mesothelioma is at the top of the list. It is a sad story with a very unhappy ending.
A Quick Guide to Mesothelioma
Beginning in 1926, various studies started revealing that the wide spread use of asbestos for its fire resistant properties might not be such a good thing. The problem? Dust from asbestos materials was easily ingested into the lungs, but was nearly impossible for the body to expel. This resulted in a host of health problems of which Mesothelioma undoubtedly is the worst.
Mesothelioma is a nasty form of cancer. It is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos dust. This primarily occurs when a person has worked directly with or around asbestos materials. For example, a person who works on older buildings with asbestos materials or a person in the ship building industry to mention only a few. The disease can also impact secondary individuals who come in contact with such people, particular said peoples clothes.
On the medical side of things, Mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks the mesothelium. This anatomical term refers to the lining found around most organs of the body including the lungs and chest cavity. The cancer can also attack the sack encompassing the heart as well as other areas of the body. In short, it is a devastating form of cancer.
The truly horrific thing about Mesothelioma is the fact it takes a long time to appear. Gestation periods can be from twenty to fifty years. Even when it begins to show symptoms, it is very difficult to diagnose because it shares many symptoms common to aging and other health issues. These can include chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and blood clotting.
Unfortunately, Mesothelioma is deadly once it fully presents. A variety of treatment methods have been tried, but nothing has worked. The average person presenting with the cancer has a life span of less than a year. Radiation, surgery and pharmaceutical approaches have failed to significantly extend this time.
Mesothelioma is terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos dust that takes a long time to manifest, but a short time to kill.
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