How Does Asbestos Cause Mesothelioma Cancer

  posted by: Rio Dianne

 

 

Everytime the condition Mesothelioma is heard, the first thing that is linked with the disease is the asbestos exposure.  Just like how benzene exposure is dangerous, exposure to asbestos also poses hazard to a person’s health.  More precisely, this condition is a rare form of cancer which is difficult to both diagnose and treat. Up until now, researchers are still looking for the potential cause of mesothelioma cancer.

mesothelioma cancer lungs

How does asbestos cause Mesothelioma ? What are its signs and symptoms? What is the treatment one should undergo when diagnosed with this disease ? Are the effects of asbestos really harmful to a person’s body to cause this rare lung cancer ?  Well, these are just some of the questions that we’ll try to answer for you.  So read on.

How Does Asbestos Cause Mesothelioma ?

The fibers from asbestos get in the way through the lungs via the pleural cavity. From there, it passes the mesothelium which is a moist, thin and flexible tissue lining in the cavity.  It is said that the asbestos fibers invade the cavity and irritates the tissues.  When the tissue is irritated, it does form scar tissues and will eventually show inflammatory response, and uncontrolled growth of cells resulting to cancer.

Other reasons for the cause of mesothelioma  include entry of asbestos fibers to the cell which causes disruption of the functions of the cellular structures causing alteration to the division of a healthy cell, and therefore leading to this disease.  Moreover, asbestos produce oncoproteins and these cause the mesothelial cells to overlook normal cell division which then develops to cancer.

Though those are just some theories, it still becomes a fact that asbestos can lead to disruption of the cellular division.  The healthy cells are not able to follow the orderly process of cell growth and results in uncontrollable division.

Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma

  • Chronic dry cough
  • Hemoptysis or coughing up blood
  • Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing
  • Easy fatiguability
  • Night sweats or fever
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Chest pain or painful breathing
  • Dyspnea or shortness of breath
  • Lumps under the skin on the chest

The signs and symptoms of this disease oftentimes resembles any other lung disorders so it is usually advised that you should go to a medical professional to undergo series of tests and screenings to diagnose the condition better.

Once you’re diagnosed with the disease, your doctor might ask you to consider treatment including – chemotherapy, radiation, and other surgical treatment. Exposure to asbestos can lead to major impairment of the lungs that is why one must take total care of his health to prevent the occurrence of such disorder.

 

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One Response

Gretchell Says:October 22nd, 2010 at 7:08 am

Hi, great post by the way very detailed and informative. I hope that lots of people could read about your post about this very important matter, mesothelioma. Specially because not everyone is familiar with the disease.


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