What Is Mesothelioma? Knowing the Symptoms and Causes

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer. It occurs in thin layer tissue which covers many internal organs, or the mesothelium. This cancer is an aggressive one, and deadly too. Patients who suffer from this cancer should get the treatment. However, many people could not be cured from this disease.

There are two types of mesothelioma. It is based on the part affected by this cancer. In common case, it affects the tissue surrounding the lungs. This is called as pleural mesothelioma. However, there is also a rare case when the mesothelioma affects tissue in abdomen, testicles, and around the heart. It is called as peritoneal mesothelioma.

The Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The signs of mesothelioma actually depends the place where this cancer grows. For the pleural mesothelioma, some of the signs are chest pain, unexplained weight loss, painful coughing, unusual lumps of tissue (it is under the skin of chest), and shortness of breath. Meanwhile, the peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms include abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, abdominal swelling, and nausea.

Even so, you should not think that having those symptoms makes you automatically suffer from mesothelioma. The signs of other types of mesothelioma are not very clear. Sometimes, people are unaware that they are suffering from this cancer. An early symptom can be mistakenly thought as merely a swelling or mass.

Do not draw a conclusion only from reading the above explanation. It is better to ask a professional and have your body fully examined in the hand of a doctor. Therefore, if you have one or more of symptoms, see a doctor and ask him for further evaluation.

The Cause of Mesothelioma

A cancer can occur when there is a mutation, or series of change in DNA. The DNA has instructions to tell each cell in the body for doing their job. However, when there is a mutation, the cell can grow and multiply in large amount. The accumulation of abnormal cell then will form a tumor.

The reason of initial mutation for mesothelioma is still unknown until today. However, some researches have successfully done to know the risk factors. Some of them are inherited conditions, health condition, environment, and the lifestyle.

Furthermore, mesothelioma also has the close relation to exposure of asbestos. It is a kind of mineral found in the environment naturally. It is used in brakes, insulation, flooring, shingles, and many more. However, the exact process of how it occurs is still unknown.