Mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer, had always been a notorious health concern for people overseas. However, this had not intruded into the health aspects of Indian population, until September 2015 when the first case of Mesothelioma was reported in Rajasthan.
Mesothelioma involves cancerous growth within the Mesothelium; which is a protective tissue, lining most of our internal organs. Complete cure for this ailment is yet to be formulated; however, various treatment procedures that can reduce the severity of symptoms and consequently ease related discomfort are very much available.
Mesothelioma is related to Asbestos and is more common with men as compared to their female counterparts. One of the deadliest aspects of this disease is that, it can remain undiagnosed for years, as its symptoms mimic many other diseased conditions and thus, gets easily confused with more common health ailments.
Health experts therefore suggest that understanding of this type of cancer; alongside its symptoms and related diagnosis, is important to fight this fatal condition; now becoming common with Indians as well.
Mesothelioma – In its different forms:
Mesothelioma can affect different parts of our body and therefore depending on the area of cancerous growth, Mesothelioma has been categorized into four different types:
- Pleural Mesothelioma
- Peritoneal Mesothelioma
- Pericardial Mesothelioma
- Testicular Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma:
Pleural Mesothelioma refers to the cancer development in the pleura – internal lining of lungs. This is one of the most common types of Mesothelioma and shows no vivid symptoms for years. Although Pleural Mesothelioma results to be fatal in most cases, health experts suggest that if early diagnosis is facilitated, available treatments can increase survival rates.
Alongside Pleural, Peritoneal Mesothelioma is another very common Mesothelioma cancer. Peritoneal refers to lining of the abdomen. Unfortunately, peritoneal Mesothelioma spreads faster than any other type and hence its treatment becomes difficult. However, early diagnosis and accurate treatment procedures can prove beneficial.
Pericardial Mesothelioma is the rarest form of Mesothelioma that involves pericardium; the lining of your heart. It is equally difficult to treat because the cancerous growth occurs very close to heart. Mostly, people in their mid life are diagnosed with this condition because the disease shows no symptoms for long duration and are only realized after 10 to 20 years of its manifestation.
Testicular Mesothelioma:
Testicular Mesothelioma effects lining of the testes. It is one of the rarest cancer conditions accounting for around one percent of all Mesothelioma cancers in USA. Research and study still continues to know more about symptoms and available treatments.
Mesothelioma and the reasons behind:
Exposure to Asbestos has been regarded as the biggest culprit behind this rare and fatal medical condition. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral known for its heat reasons and exceptional durability. It once had various industrial usages and was regarded as the manufacturer’s favorite. However, later around the 20th century, various health hazards of Asbestos came to light and since then its industrial usage has been restricted.
Asbestos, known as the Human carcinogen if inhaled can have several detrimental health results. These materials take a strong grip of the respiratory system, so much that they cannot be broken down and eliminated by your body’s natural metabolism. Various lung disorders originate from asbestos inhalation, one being Mesothelioma.
People working in power plants, construction and shipbuilding industries remain at the highest risk of developing Mesothelioma. It needs to be remembered, that asbestos only when inhaled can cause Mesothelioma cancer and therefore only freely available Asbestos in air is considered hazardous.
Besides asbestos, there are plenty of other reasons that may lead to this type of cancer. However, since Mesothelioma is new in India, no case relating to the following causes has been reported till date. All the below mentioned causes are derived from different reports published globally. Let’s learn about a few of those:
- Zeolites: A fibrous mineral very similar to Asbestos has been reported to bring about Mesothelioma cancer in people who work with industries where zeolite is used; one such is commercial water purification systems.
- Controversial Polio Vaccines: Some polio vaccines administered during 1953 to 1965 are said to contain SV40 virus that led to this cancerous growth later.
- Radiation treatment for other types of cancer: There have been a few reports suggesting that patients who undergo radiation therapy for treating cancer remain at a high risk of developing Mesothelioma. However, as there are very few incidents reported, this condition is still under speculation.
- Gene mutation: Studies have confirmed that mutation of the gene named BAP1 makes people more susceptible to Mesothelioma.
Understanding Mesothelioma Symptoms can facilitate early diagnosis:
As previously mentioned, diagnosis and choosing subsequent treatment for Mesothelioma cancer is difficult, as the disease remains silent and shows no vivid symptoms for decades.
Mesothelioma is diagnosed in patients above 45 years or so, not because asbestos inhalation takes place only after a considerable age. It is because, the disease even when effecting the body shows no symptoms that call for a diagnosis or treatment. And that makes it all the more deadlier.
Therefore, determining or understanding subtle symptoms of this disease is very crucial. Let us have a careful look at the various symptoms listed below:
Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms:
- Reduced expansion of chest and frequent experience of severe pain
- Dry cough that is sometimes accompanied with blood
- Shortness of breath known as Dyspnea
- Painful and difficult breathing sometimes
- Weight loss that cannot have any relevant reason
- Fever and night sweats
- Dysphagia – A condition where a person experiences slight difficulty while swallowing. People complain that food gets stuck in the esophagus.
- Hoarseness
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms:
- Unbearable abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Unexplained weight loss
- Feeling of fullness and lack of appetite
- Fluid accumulation in the abdomen
- Hernia development and related symptoms
- Changes in bowel habits – Diarrhea and Constipation
- Anemia and blood clotting
Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms:
- Irregular heartbeats and palpitations
- Shortness of breath only when lying flat or taking rest
- Continuous murmurs
- Chest pain
- Cough, Fever and Night Sweats
- Fatigue
Testicular Mesothelioma Symptoms:
Formation of lump in the testes is the only symptom of Mesothelioma Cancer that develops in the testes.
Mesothelioma – Diagnosis and Treatment:
As it is very much evident, that the symptoms mentioned above are quite generic and can be indicative of many different illnesses; your doctor ordering a Mesothelioma diagnosis right away is not expected. Therefore, it is suggested that people who are suffering from such symptoms and have minimal chances of Asbestos exposure, do need to inform the same to their doctors. This will speed up the diagnosis process.
Following are the common diagnostic tests ordered to determine Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma Prognosis – Factors Influencing:
Mesothelioma diagnosis is immediately followed by prognosis, where your doctor tries to forecast the outcome of treatment procedures and the body’s response to those. Prognosis is an important procedure and getting an overall positive output is essential to initiate treatment procedures.
Factors influencing Mesothelioma Prognosis:
- The type of Mesothelioma you are suffering from: Peritoneal Mesothelioma has better survival rates as compared to Pleural. Pericardial comes with poorest prognosis results; however, efficient treatment procedures do increase survival rates by some percentages. Testicular, being the rarest does not have much information.
- Size of cancer and how far it has spread: Stages I and II have better chances of improvement as compared to later stages.
- Histology – Type of cells that form the Mesothelioma cancer
- Acute symptoms suggest that cancer is in later stages and therefore difficult to treat
- Overall health status of patients
- Patients below age 55, non smokers and females have shown better prognosis outcomes
Mesothelioma is definitely Treatable:
Mesothelioma patients have three treatment options that can lessen severity of symptoms and improve overall health condition. These three include – Surgery, Chemotherapy and Radiation. Undergoing surgery is the most optimal treatment procedure; however, your doctor decides on any of these options depending on the diagnosis results and prognosis.
Surgical Treatment – To determine if you are fit to undergo a surgical treatment, your doctor will conduct an EKG test, angiogram, echocardiogram and a stress test. Based on these reports, your doctor conducts either a Potentially curative surgery or a Palliative surgery. The former aims at removing the tumor while the later improves your quality of life by reducing symptoms and thus bringing situations under control.
Chemotherapy and Radiations – Both these procedures reduce and kill tumors by administering strong drugs or radiations. However, chemotherapy has severe side effects as compared to radiation, even though it comes up with better Mesothelioma treatment outcomes and thus is not opted for in most situations.
Mesothelioma – Survival Rates:
Health experts decide Mesothelioma survival rate as the number of years a patient survives after diagnosis. This is mostly one year post diagnosis; however, with treatment, it can be extended to around five years as well.
Age, stage of cancer, histology, gender; all determine the survival rate. However, efficient and continuous efforts put in by oncologists and patient concern can bring about better results against all theoretical studies. There have been cases abroad where people with mid stage diagnosis and immediate treatments have survived for as long as 7 – 10 years or so. Therefore, being vigilant regarding your own health and remaining informed about different health hazards can definitely help to keep this dreadful disease away. And if at all you develop this disease, knowing symptoms and warning signs will help you opt for diagnosis and thus treatments.
How easy is it to get Mesothelioma and can it be prevented?
Mesothelioma is deeply related to Asbestos and therefore, if you are not exposed to Asbestos, your chances of suffering from this type of cancer are thin.
Taking care of your health when at work where Asbestos exposure is inevitable is the only way to prevent Asbestos inhalation and thus Mesothelioma. Wearing proper protective jackets, masks and gears while at work can keep this human carcinogen away.
Finally, opting for health screening tests and visiting doctors periodically, to know if any asbestos inhalation has taken place is also suggested to prevent any Mesothelioma cancer growth.