Mesothelioma is a malignant and cancerous type of malignant mesothelioma, caused due to exposure to the carcinogenic agent known as asbestos. It is also an asbestos-related disease and hence it can be difficult to identify the causes of mesothelioma as no two people are the same with regard to mesothelioma. In other words, the cause of mesothelioma is somewhat unique for each patient.
In mesothelioma, asbestos fibers cause the growth of fibers which are trapped in the cells of the mesothelial tissue. Due to the presence of these fibers, it is quite impossible to see them. Hence, the symptoms and other symptoms experienced by a person who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma are rather vague.
There are various causes of mesothelioma. These include (but are not limited to) accidents involving asbestos, exposure to asbestos during the manufacturing process of a building material (such as wood or brick), as a result of cutting asbestos to be used as a substitute for ordinary building materials (asbestos shingles, insulation), as a result of a serious work accident that resulted in exposure to asbestos, as a result of bleeding from some sort of injury to the mesothelioma patient, as a result of surgery, and as a result of certain medical conditions. However, at the current time, it is believed that exposure to asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma. But this will likely change in the future as more studies are done on the possible links between the two.
The symptoms of malignant mesothelioma, in general, can include shortness of breath, excessive sweating, nausea, abdominal pain, severe pain in the chest and difficulty in breathing. In rare cases, these symptoms may include abdominal swelling, fevers, yellow teeth, high blood pressure, liver failure, nausea, tumors in the heart, coughing up blood, irregular heart beat, and even hallucinations. Other symptoms that may be experienced include chronic fatigue, weight loss, and unexplained weakness.
Because malignant mesothelioma is a hard disease to diagnose, early detection is always preferred by doctors and patients. Thus, physicians will usually require laboratory tests to be done in order to determine the specific type of mesothelioma that a patient has been diagnosed with. In fact, most experts agree that if the malignant mesothelioma is found at an early stage, the patient can expect the disease to be curable.
However, there are various types of tests that can be done, depending on the type of malignant mesothelioma that a patient has been diagnosed with. A CT scan or CAT scan can be done, in order to discover the kind of mesothelioma that a patient has been diagnosed with. This will allow doctors to ascertain the kinds of internal abnormalities that have developed within the body of the patient. This is a very important step in diagnosing malignant mesothelioma.
MRI, PET scans, and other functional imaging tests are also helpful in the diagnosis process. This allows the doctor to do a detailed physical examination of the body. These tests, especially the MRI, allow the doctor to see the tumor in an in-depth manner, so that it can be seen in its exact location. Thus, it allows the doctor to tell the extent of the mesothelioma, in terms of its extent and location.
Another test is a biopsy, which is an examination of the tissue samples taken from the affected part of the body. This is done to confirm the diagnosis and to find out the cause of the malignant mesothelioma. If the test comes out positive, then the doctor can be sure that the cancer has become malignant and has spread to another part of the body. Finally, a biopsy can also help the doctor to eliminate other diseases that could be the cause of the cancer.
