Mesothelioma real facts in human body

Mesothelioma is a cancer that arises from the cells lining the chest or abdominal cavities.
Mesothelioma typically results from exposure to asbestos.
When mesothelioma affects the chest, the doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope.
When mesothelioma affects the abdomen, the doctor may look inside the abdomen with a special tool called a peritoneoscope.
Mesothelioma is diagnosed by a biopsy.
The outlook for patients with mesothelioma depends on how early the disease is detected and how aggressively it is treated.
Most people present with complaints of shortness of breath. They also can have complaints of chest pain. Surprisingly, this pain is often not pleuritic; that is, it does not get worse with deep breathing. This is surprising in that the pleura (outer surface of the lung) is often involved in this disease, and most other diseases involving the pleura are often associated with pleuritic pain (pain that worsens with deep breathing). Patients may also be asymptomatic, with the disease discovered by physical exam or an abnormal chest X-ray.
As the disease progresses, shortness of breath increases, and weight loss, decreased appetite, and night sweats can develop. Local invasion by the tumor can result in changing of voice, loss of function of the diaphragm, and symptoms specific to the area and involvement of adjacent structures.
Introduction

Chest pain is one of the most common complaints that will bring a patient to the Emergency Department. Seeking immediate care may be lifesaving, and considerable public education has been undertaken to get patients to access medical care when chest pain strikes. While the patient may be worried about a heart attack, there are many other causes of pain in the chest that the healthcare provider will need to consider. Some diagnoses are life threatening, while others are less dangerous.
Deciding the cause of chest pain is sometimes very difficult and may require blood tests, x-rays, CT scans and other tests to sort out the diagnosis. Often though, a careful history taken by the healthcare provider may be all that is needed to find the answer.
Asbestos-related disorders facts
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been linked to human lung disease.
All forms of asbestos increase the risk of lung disease.
The three types of asbestos-related lung disease are scarring (asbestosis), non-cancerous disease of the tissue of the lining of the surface of the lung (pleural disease), and lung cancer (of the lungs or their outer lining tissue [mesothelioma]).
Asbestosis is a process of lung tissue scarring caused by asbestos fibers.
Asbestos is the only known risk factor for malignant mestothelioma, a cancer that affects the tissue lining the lung (pleura) or abdomen (peritoneum).
The time between exposure to asbestos and the development of cancer can be anywhere from 10 to 40 or more years.

Smoking appears to increase the frequency and/or the rate of progression of asbestosis.
Diagnosis of asbestosis or asbestos-related lung diseases and cancer are often made using chest X-rays or CT scans of the lungs.
Treatment of asbestos-related diseases includes appropriate vaccinations, treatment of lung infections, smoking cessation, and the use of oxygen if necessary.

If asbestos is suspected in a building, an expert in asbestos abatement should be consulted for inspection, correction, and maintenance.