Pleural Mesothelioma -- Cancer of the Lung Lining
What is pleural mesothelioma?
Pleural mesothelioma or malignant pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the lungs that can spread to the lungs. The spread of the tumor on the pleura leads to a thickening of the pleura. This hinders the reflexivity of the pleura and envelops the lungs in an increasingly restrictive belt. With the lungs so restricted, they contract in no time and a person is always out of breath.
Pleural mesothelioma can be:
- Diffuse and malignant (carcinogenic)
- localized and benign (non-cancerous)
Benign mesothelioma of the pleura can be removed surgically, but malignant tumors are the real terrorist heads.
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common of the other cases of mesothelioma. It is due to exposure to blue asbestos for a longer period of 20 years, during which time the disease only appears to show its scary face through certain symptoms.
The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma
Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include difficulty breathing, sleep, chest and abdominal pain, vomiting, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, lower back pain, persistent cough, hoarseness voice, sensory loss and communication difficulties. swallowing.
Diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma
The first step is to have a chest x-ray or CT scan (chest CT scan) that will show pleural thickening and effusion. This is followed by bronchoscopy. However, it should always be left to a doctor for a better understanding of the respective cases. Another method is a biopsy, which can be a needle biopsy, an open biopsy or a thoracoscopy, where a mini camera is inserted into the body and with which a tissue sample is obtained for further diagnosis.
Treatment of pleural mesothelioma
The treatment is directly proportional to the time of revelation of the disease, that is to say that at an early stage, the tumor can be removed by surgery.
Immunotherapy is a pioneering therapeutic option, for example intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a useful treatment for mesothelioma in which an effort is made to intensify the immune response.
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are probably the solution to malignant mesothelioma of the pleura, but this can only facilitate the management of pain; pleural mesothelioma does not escape death.
Side effects of treatment
The side effects and the penalty of mesothelioma lung cancer treatment far exceed its treatment, which is to damage healthy tissue, a state of absolute fatigue; excessive radiation causes redness, dryness and itching of the skin.
Other side effects of radiation therapy are nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, urinary discomfort, and a sudden reduction in the number of white blood cells.
The average lifespan of a person with pleural mesothelioma can range from 6 months to a year and its maximum can be up to 5 years - magnesium-silicate mineral fibers have more than painful consequences.
Other factors that may accelerate the risk of pleural mesothelioma are chronic pulmonary infections, tuberculous pleuritis, radiation (Thorotrast), exposure to Simian Virus 40 (SV40) or mineral fiber (zeolite), and smoking in a patient. certain extent.
Pleural mesothelioma does not give a person the right to play. Although its existence depends greatly on the different stages of the disease, it is an ultimate threat that kills the life of the common man.