Malignant mesothelioma is an unusual, but no longer rare, cancer that is difficult to diagnose & poorly responsive to therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases.
A layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells lines the chest cavity, abdominal cavity, & the cavity around the heart. These cells also cover the outer surface of most internal organs. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.
The mesothelium helps protect the organs by producing a special oiling liquid that allows organs to move around. For example, this liquid makes it simpler for the lungs to move inside the chest in the coursework of breathing. The mesothelium of the chest is called the pleura & the mesothelium of the abdomen is called the peritoneum. The mesothelium of the pericardial cavity (the "sac-like" space around the heart) is called the pericardium
Tumors of the mesothelium can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A malignant tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma. Because most mesothelial tumors are cancerous, malignant mesothelioma is often basically called mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma was recognized as a tumor of the pleura, peritoneum & pericardium in the late 1700's. However it was not until much later, in 1960, that this particular type of tumor was described in more detail & even more importantly, its association with asbestos exposure was recognized. The first document linking mesothelioma to asbestos exposure was written by J.C.Wagner, & described 32 cases of workers in the "Asbestos Hills" in South Africa. Since than the relationship between mesothelioma & asbestos exposure has been confirmed in studies around the globe.
The incidence of mesothelioma in the United States remains low, with 14 cases occurring per million people per year. Despite these numbers the noticed threefold increase in mesothelioma in males between 1970 & 1984, is directly associated with environmental & occupational exposure to asbestos, mostly in areas of asbestos product plants & shipbuilding facilities.
Although the disease is much more often seen in 60-year elderly men, it's been described in females & early childhood as well. The reason for the disease is not so well understood in these latter four groups, but there is some facts of feasible asbestos exposure for some of these cases as well
Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest diseases known to man; the average life span of an inflicted person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months. It is a disease that strikes about 3,000 United States citizens each & every year; hard working individuals who have labored for a lifetime to provide for their families, doing the work that keeps this country jogging as well as a great place to live. They worked in factories, at shipyards, in mines, for the US military, as engineers, as pipefitters, as steel workers, as auto mechanics, & in so lots of other professions. They came home to their loved ones exhausted & covered in dirt & dust; worn out, but content that they had a job & were providing for their relatives. Content that they were putting food on the table as well as a house over their loved one's heads. Content that they were working to make a better life for their families in this generation & the next...
