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Mesothelioma Cancer
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Mesothelioma is a type of cancer involving mesothelial
tissues of body organs usually lungs or abdominal.
It is often caused by exposure to asbestos.
However, there are 30-50% of patients without
any history of asbestos exposure.
People who have received asbestos exposure of as
little as one or two months to very low doses
are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. Even
people who wash clothes of asbestos exposed
people are at risk. A person exposed to asbestos
could develop mesothelioma after 50 years
of exposure.
People in the occupations such as construction
jobs in shipyards, insulators, boilermakers,
etc. are at the risk of contracting asbestos
disease.
The 2 common types of mesothelioma are:
Pleural mesothelioma (lung cancer)
and Peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen organs).
The survival time for a patient with diffuse
malignant mesothelioma is from 4 to 24 months
from the observance of the symptoms. Mesothelioma
is also difficult to diagnose.
The chance of recovery for a patient with mesothelioma
depends on size and location of the cancer,
age of the patient and his response to the
treatment. Presently, the treatment options
for mesotheliomas are: Radiation therapy,
Chemotherapy, Surgery and Photodynamic therapy.
There is some evidence that provitamin A
or beta-carotene may decrease the risk of
mesothelioma.
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Site Search
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Featured Links
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Cancer.gov: Malignant Mesothelioma - consumer and clinical information about
the rare form of cancer commonly associated
with high exposures to asbestos.
All About Malignant Mesothelioma - guide explaining the cancer that aggressively
invades the lining (mesothelium) of the lungs
and abdomen. From the American Cancer Society.
CancerBACUP: Mesothelioma Information Centre - provides general information for patients
including causes, diagnosis, treatment, and
support.
MedlinePlus: Mesothelioma (Benign-Fibrous) - basic information about the noncancerous
tumor of the lining of the lung and chest
cavity.
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