Medical FAQs part 1

What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is not lung cancer. Instead, it is a specific kind of cancer that affects the lining around the lungs, heart or abdomen.Each year, between 2,500 and 3,000 men and women in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma. It is an aggressive cancer that can be difficult to treat. Often, the cancer does not appear for 15 to 40 or more years after a person has been exposed to asbestos. Exposure to even relatively small amounts of asbestos can cause mesothelioma.Fortunately, researchers and doctors continue to make new advancements and discoveries regarding mesothelioma. For more information about treatment options for mesothelioma

What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance, mined from rock and made up of tiny fibers, that has been used extensively in thousands of building and insulation products.Asbestos releases microscopic fibers that people either breathe in or swallow. Asbestos fibers are so small the eye cannot see them. Asbestos has no smell or taste, and it is inhaled or swallowed without immediate or noticeable effect.

What are the types of malignant mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma can affect the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), heart (pericardial mesothelioma) and abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma).The chest cavity, abdominal cavity and the cavity around the heart are all lined by a layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the next most common form, and pericardial mesothelioma is the most rare.

Who gets mesothelioma and why?
The primary known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Throughout the 20th century, especially prior to the mid-1970s, asbestos was found in thousands of products, especially insulation and construction materials.
Here is a list of some products that at one time contained asbestos:
Pipe Covering/Pipe Insulation
Insulating cement
Insulating block
Refractory cement
Floor and ceiling tile
Fireproofing
Insulation
Firebrick
Gaskets
Joint compounds
Brake pads and linings
Clutches
Electraical wires
Boilers
Furnaces
Turbines
Wallboard/Millboard
Asbestos cloth, blankets, felt or paper
Asbestos packing
Asbestos rope
Shingles
Roofing materials
Plastic cement
Drilling additives
Here is a list of some trades that at one time were commonly exposed to asbestos on the job:
Insulators
Pipfitters
Plumbers
Boiler room tenders
Boilermakers
Steel workers
Shipyard workers
Electricians
Carpenters
Drywall finishers
Painters
Plasterers
Iron workers
Crane operators
Floor coverers
Masons
Brickmasons and blockmasons
Laborers
Construction workers
Pot tenders
Welders
Sheet metal workers
Railroad workers
Brake mechanics
Refinery workers
Power plant workers
Paper mill workers
Navy men
Particularly from the 1940s to the mid-1970s, many workers throughout the U.S. were exposed to asbestos at their jobs. In some cases, a member of the worker’s family may have been exposed to asbestos carried home on the worker’s clothes and developed mesothelioma many years later.

What are the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma?
The symptoms of mesothelioma may include: shortness of breath, pain in the chest or back, or pain or swelling in the abdomen. Other symptoms may include difficulty swallowing, cough, fever, sweating, fatigue and weight loss.The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may also include hoarseness, coughing up blood, swelling of the face and arms, muscle weakness, paralysis and sensory loss. Those with peritoneal mesothelioma may experience pain in the abdomen, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, hernia, fluid in the abdominal cavity or a mass in the abdomen.