The Important Facts about Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma by far
and accounts for 75% of all mesothelioma cases. Pleural mesothelioma
affects the respiratory areas of the body such as the lungs. More
specifically, the cancer attacks the lining of the lungs and ribs
called the pleura hence the name pleural mesothelioma.

The main cause of pleural mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Only a
couple of months of being exposed to the deadly dust and fibres of
asbestos without protection can lead to pleural mesothelioma thirty to
fifty years later. Elderly men of ages sixty to seventy are those most
at risk to asbestos because this was the generation which worked with
asbestos with little protection from the dust and fibres. Due to the
long latency period of pleural mesothelioma (30-50 years), these men
are only just discovering they have the deadly cancer. Currently, many
of these men are lodging million dollar lawsuits against the companies
who exposed them to asbestos. Asbestos fibres get into the lining of
the lungs by inhalation and become lodged inside the lungs.

The symptoms that are associated with pleural mesothelioma include
persistent coughing, difficulty swallowing, facial swelling, weight
loss, fever, rasping and coughing up blood. Patients may additionally
experience shortness of breath because as the tumour on the lining of
the lungs expands, this leaves less room for the lungs to function
properly. Some patients also begin to feel severe pains in their chest
and this is due to the spreading of cancerous cells. A lot of these
symptoms are similar to diseases and conditions which are far more
common than mesothelioma which means that pleural mesothelioma is
often very difficult to diagnose until it is too late.

Treatment of pleural mesothelioma is limited and as yet there is no
proper cure. Research is being conducted in labs all over the United
States and many pharmaceutical companies are also testing for new
treatments. Treatments for pleural mesothelioma include chemotherapy,
radiation therapy and surgery. A patient's age, medical record, weight
and other such factors are taken into account before treatment.
Generally, chance of survival is far more likely if pleural
mesothelioma is treated aggressively in its early stages because once
the cancer has developed and matured it is very difficult to cure.