Mesothelioma Law

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. Most Americans don’t know what mesothelioma is, where it occurs, or what it does. Even though this cancer is rare, a basic understanding of the disease could prove to be very important. One of the number one ways to improve your odds of surviving any form of cancer is to realize the symptoms and seek medical help before the cancer spreads. Accounting for the second highest number of deaths in the United States, cancer will affect 50% of the American male population and one out of every three American women.

There are many different types and forms of cancer, each of which has its own causes, symptoms, and treatments. It is therefore best to respond to cancer with treatment designed and suited for that particular type of cancer. Treatments are also proven to be more effective when the cancer is discovered early. While there are many different types of cancer, certain lifestyle changes, such as exercising, monitoring a balanced diet, and abstaining from smoking can greatly reduce one’s chances of developing cancer.

Cells

In the human body, cells live according to the order of their existence. While all tissues and organs are made up of cells, each have their own specialized responsibilities. Cells divide and thus multiply as part of the reproduction of more cells. When we are young, this cell division occurs quickly and frequently, and of course slows down when we are older. Each human body eventually reaches an age where cell division happens only to replace old and dying cells.

Cancer occurs in the human body when cells grow abnormally. These cells differ from other cells in the fact that they live and divide outside of the controlled norms of other cells, they also outlive normal cells and thus can continue to divide and create more and more abnormal cells. These abnormal cells are the cause of all forms of cancer. Breast cancer and lung cancer, for example, differ in symptoms, treatments, and effects. But like all forms of cancer, these two are alike in the fact that they were caused by abnormal cell growth. These cancer cells not only divide at accelerated rates, but also migrate to other regions of the body where they continue to divide and replace more and more normal tissues. In a process called metastasis these cancerous abnormal cells travel through our bloodstream and lymph vessels.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or DNA, is the core substance in cells that control all of the cell’s activities. Cancer cells are usually formed when the DNA in a cell is irreparably damaged. Damaged DNA can be passed from parent to child genetically and thus create the scenario of inherited forms of cancer. However, damaged DNA usually occurs as a result of contact with an impure or toxic environment. One such example of this is the direct or indirect exposure to cigarette smoke. Tobacco smoke is the main cause of cancer related deaths in America.

With the exception of cancers such as leukemia which remain at the cellular level, the development of cancer cells in the human body usually take on the form of a lumped mass known as a tumor. This is not to say that all tumors are the effect of cancer. Non-threatening tumors which do not spread throughout the body are called benign tumors. Benign tumors, though consisting of abnormal cell growths, are not cancerous and typically harmless.

Mesothelioma

With less than 3,000 reported new cases each year, mesothelioma is considered a rare disease. It is however a very dangerous disease. Unfortunately, by the time the patient begins experiencing symptoms, the cancer has already created a strong foundation and may have begun to spread. There are three main types of mesothelioma: epithelioid, which is the most common type; followed by the sarcomatoid type, which accounts for no more than a third of malignant mesotheliomas; and mixed/biphasic mesothelioma accounts for the remaining minority percentage of all malignant mesotheliomas. While all three types of malignant mesothelioma are different, they are all given the same treatments.

In order to understand what mesothelioma is, one must have an understanding of where and how it affects the human body. Thus, one must also have an understanding of what mesothelial cells are and what they do. Mesothelial cells form layers of tissue, called mesothelium, which protect the chest and abdominal cavities, as well as the space around the human heart and other organs. In the chest the mesothelium is called the pleura, whereas in the abdomen it is called the peritoneum. The third type of mesothelium, called the pericardium, protects and lubricates the pericardial cavity around the heart. This protective tissue, or mesothelium, not only serves as protection for these cavities, but also produces a lubricating fluid that helps the organs function in their specified cavities during normal human activity.

Most tumors of the mesothelium are malignant, meaning they are cancerous. Benign mesothelial tumors are so rare that most people use the term mesothelioma when referring to malignant mesothelioma. But this is not to say that benign mesothelioma tumors do not exist. Benign tumors have been known to develop in reproductive organs of both men and women. These benign tumors are known as adenomatoid tumors. When present they are usually found in the male epididymus or testes.

In females, these benign tumors are usually found in the fallopian tubes. In addition to adenomatoid tumors, women are capable of developing another form of benign mesothelial tumor known as benign cystic mesothelioma which form in the mesothelium of female reproductive organs. Other regions of the body can produce benign mesothelioma as well. In the area around the lungs, tumors called benign fibrous mesothelioma can develop in the pleura.

Benign fibrous mesothelioma is now referred to as solitary fibrous tumor of the peritoneum as doctors have discovered that they do not actually originate in the pleura’s mesothelial cells. All of these forms of benign mesothelioma are relatively harmless and can simply be surgically removed. But, as mentioned before, most cases of mesothelioma are malignant and therefore cancerous.