Knowing About Mesothelioma
What is mesothelioma? It is a lethal cancer that attacks the membranes around the lungs, the heart and the abdominal cavity. A mesothelioma cancer of the lungs is by far the most common form. Perhaps its most unusual characteristic is that mesothelioma diagnosis usually occurs decades after the initial exposure to asbestos, that is for some people this cancer is popularly known as mesothelioma asbestos. It takes years for the asbestos fibers to work their way into those membranes; after an extended presence they begin to cause fluid accumulation and tumor development. However the first mesothelioma symptoms are such afflictions as a persistent cough or shortness of breath – symptoms that are often mistaken for evidence of more common lung problems, which delays the mesothelioma diagnosis even further.
The mesothelioma prognosis is typically the most important variable determining the prognosis and life expectancy of a mesothelioma patient is the stage of the cancer when it is diagnosed. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is more difficult to “stage” than other cancers. This is true for a couple of reasons, because its somewhat rare, and because its initial symptoms are subtle it is usually advanced when diagnosed, making it difficult to stage.