Mesothelioma Cancer is when the mesothelium becomes affected by abnormal cell division and growth due to cellular DNA damage of the organ.
The
mesothelioma cancer is a relatively uncommon type of the disease that primarily affects the lungs, yet can also have an effect on the heart and abdomen.
It initially targets the membranes of these major organs and then spreads from there.
This particular type of cancer occurs about four times more often in males than in females and all forms of mesothelioma, other than for benign
mesothelioma, are terminal since there is no cure. How long a patient survives the cancer is usually determined by several issues especially how
early the cancer is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated. Many die within one year; others have success with aggressive treatments.
Once the cancer spreads to other organs it is said to metastasize, the primary location of the initial stages of the cancer is pleura or peritoneum.
The pleura are the thin membrane that covers the lungs and protects and cushions the lungs. The pleura are made up of two layers of membrane tissue
that are separated by a small volume of fluid. Some other locations of the cancer developing may be the peritoneum which is the lining of the abdominal
cavity, heart, and pericardium which is the sac that surrounds the heart.
This cancer just like most other cancers uses the TNM staging system to classify the development of the disease. The "T" stands for tumor and how it relates
to the size of the tumor and how it has spread to other organs. The "N" relates to lymph node and how the diseases have progressed to the lymph nodes.
The "M" is related to metastasis and how much the cancer has spread to other organs. (spread to distant organs). The TNM staging for this disease goes from
Stage 1 thru Stage 4.
Stages of Mesothelioma Cancer
Stage 1
Mesothelioma is found on one area of the torso solely and is not growing into the chest wall. Mesothelioma cancer consists of abnormal cell division on either
side of the pleura lining. It has only propagated to the outer lining of the lung. The cancer has not yet invaded the lymph nodes.
Stage II
Mesothelioma cancer has affected the area of the chest and lung called the pleura membrane. The cancer has spread from the membrane lining of the chest into
the outer lining of the lung or the diaphragm or the lung itself. The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes on the same side of the body.
Stage III Mesothelioma cancer is considered an advance stage of development. The cancer malignancy has grown through the diaphragm directly into the peritoneum
(lining of the abdominal cavity) or has spread to lymph nodes past those in the chest. The esophagus, heart, and other vital organs may be affected.
Stage IV
Mesothelioma is the last stage of the cancer and is considered very advanced. The cancer has metasisized and now spread to other organs throughout the body.
The brain, heart, liver, besides the lings may be afflicted and the lymph nodes are affected in all locations. In this stage, non surgical treatments are favored
because the prognosis is dire.
More information on
mesothelioma cancer staging can be found at the
National Cancer Institute.
Mesothelioma Related Information
Asbestos Cancer
Malignant Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Lawsuit
