| Mesothelioma is a serious cancerous disease with low | | | | of cancer which is often confused with epithelioid |
| survival rates in spite of various new treatment options | | | | mesothelioma. |
| which have helped in increasing the longevity. Statistics | | | | Distinguished by a papillary or tubular growth, is the |
| indicate that the average survival period after | | | | most common subtype of mestothelioma, there are |
| diagnosis is about one year. The period might increase | | | | many abnormal histological variants which have also |
| up to two years if the treatment is done aggressively. | | | | been found which include adenomatoid and deciduoid |
| It has been found that more than 95% cases, | | | | patterns or tumors composed of small cells or |
| mesothelioma occurs due to asbestos exposure. | | | | mucin-positive cells, apart from mesothelioma with |
| Most people were earlier unaware of the danger | | | | lepidic intrapulmonary growth. |
| caused by asbestos exposure as the mesothelioma | | | | Symptoms |
| occurs after about 20 to 40 years after being | | | | Symptoms can occur after more than 40 to 50 years |
| exposed to asbestos. Owing to this reason, this | | | | of being exposed to asbestos. It is most of the time |
| disease was also called as an `old person's disease' as | | | | mistaken for a common bout of asthma, pneumonia or |
| people in 60's or 70's usually contract this disease. | | | | bronchitis due to symptoms of chest pain and |
| Higher prognosis help patients undergo better | | | | breathlessness. Patients can have a cough, weakness, |
| treatment and in turn better life expectancy. | | | | tiredness along with inability to absorb nutrition causing |
| Epithelium is a tissue separating different regions of the | | | | weight loss. Also the most common is the collection of |
| body. Like in the case of epithelial cells found in the skin | | | | fluid inside the pleural space called pleural effusion.The |
| detaches the outside of the body from the inside of | | | | breathlessness is caused when the tumor does not |
| the body. This serves varied responsibilities like | | | | allow the lungs to expand and when it spreads further |
| protection, absorption, filtration, excretion, secretion or | | | | it results in severe chest pain. |
| sensory reception. | | | | Diagnosis |
| Causes and symptoms: | | | | A thorough diagnosis is needed prior to any kind of |
| The most common cause of epithelioid mesothelioma | | | | treatment for mesothelioma. As the latency period of |
| is asbestos exposure where the fine particles and | | | | this disease's appearance of the symptoms early |
| which are found thrown in the air either through sawing | | | | diagnosis becomes a difficult proposition. It is usually |
| or cutting. In epithelioid mesothelioma the membrane | | | | done only at the advanced stage leading to a survival |
| lining of chest cavity, lungs, heart or abdominal cavity | | | | rate of about 8 to 9 months. |
| gets affected. In the case of epithelioid mesothelioma | | | | To find out whether an individual has to undergo |
| the survival period of the patient is about eight and a | | | | various diagnostic tests like X-ray, MRI, CAT Scan, |
| half months. | | | | Transbronchial biopsy where a scope is passed |
| The rate at which people suffering is as much as 50% | | | | through the trachea to the bronchi area of the lungs, |
| to 70% of all cancer cells making it the most common | | | | thoracotomy where the chest is opened and checked |
| type. It is identified based on the unique and organized | | | | between the ribs for any tumor, thoracoscopy where |
| cell structure which has tubular pattern with a specific | | | | a video camera is used to check between the ribs or |
| cell nucleus. Usually there is a misdiagnoses of the | | | | Centesis where pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial fluid is |
| disease as the cells in other forms of cancer look quite | | | | removed. |
| similar to epithelioid cells as adenocarcinoma is a type | | | | |