Sunday, November 4, 2007
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a disease in which the mesothelium cells divide uncontrollably. This abnormality in the mesothelium cells leads to mesothelioma. It may be cancerous or non-cancerous. When it is cancerous, it is known as a malignant form of mesothelioma, and when it is non-cancerous, it is known as a benign form of mesothelioma. As these cells keep multiplying, they invade the nearby organs and create a lot of damage to the patient. When it is malignant, the cancer spreads all over the body. The most important reason why many people are affected by this disease is the exposure to asbestos. Even exposure to few asbestos fibers can lead to this disease. However, many people do not realize that their exposure to asbestos has lead to this situation. This is because there is a long time gap between the exposure and the onset of mesothelioma. Sometimes, it may even be as long as 40 years. People who work in construction sites, shipyards, renovation sites and so on contract this disease because of constant exposure to asbestos. When these people return home, the asbestos fibers hanging on to their clothes may make their families also succumb to this disease. A high level of care and caution is necessary to help prevent this disease. Researches have also proved that people, who smoke, succumbed to this disease faster than non-smokers. So, a mixture of asbestos exposure and smoking can be doubly harmful. The early symptoms of mesothelioma include troubled breathing, cough and shortness of breath, which makes many people associate it with pneumonia. However, proper diagnosis is vital to take action against the disease as soon as possible.
posted by Andrew at
9:32 AM
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