Types of Mesothelioma: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, and Treatments

D iseases of the human body come in various shapes, sizes, and forms. Some diseases are better known than others, while some owe their unknownness to their rarity. One such rare disease is Mesothelioma, which affects less than 0.3% of all people diagnosed with cancer.

What is Mesothelioma?

The name mesothelioma is derived from the word mesothelium, which is a layer of protective membrane that covers most of the major vital organs.

When this layer has a tumor, it is known as mesothelioma. This tumor can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), but is often the latter. Benign mesothelioma is so rare that it makes up less than 10% of all the diagnoses in the US.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that often proves fatal. Some treatments are available, but there is no cure for the majority of the patients.

Depending on which organ’s mesothelium is affected, doctors have divided mesothelioma into different types. 

Types of Mesothelioma

Thus far, there have been four discovered types of mesothelioma based on the location of the growth.

• Pleural Mesothelioma: This affects the membrane around the lungs.
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma: This affects the membrane in the abdomen.
• Pericardial Mesothelioma: This affects the membrane around the heart.
• Mesothelioma of Tunica Vaginalis: This affects the membrane around the testicles.

The most common type of mesothelioma is Pleural Mesothelioma, which accounts for around 75% of all mesothelioma cases.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The symptoms of mesothelioma depend on the type of mesothelioma in question. Furthermore, the symptoms often do not come forth until about 20-50 years after exposure to asbestos.

• Pleural Mesothelioma: Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, painful coughing, unusual lumps of tissue under chest skin, and unexplained weight loss.
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Symptoms may include abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea, and unexplained weight loss.
• Pericardial Mesothelioma: Symptoms may include breathing difficulties and chest pains.
• Mesothelioma of Tunica Vaginalis: Symptoms may include swelling and a mass on a testicle.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Mesothelioma of Tunica Vaginalis are the rarest forms of mesothelioma, and thus there is not a lot of information on the exact signs and symptoms of these particular diseases.

Causes of Mesothelioma

The only known and proven cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral with fibers that, upon prolonged inhalation and/or ingestion, may become embedded within the mesothelium. Overtime (about 20 to 50 years to give an idea) these fibers cause scarring and inflammation to the tissue, which then eventually leads to the development of mesothelioma tumors.

There are other factors that may cause mesothelioma too, but they are not proven or strongly correlated as of yet.

Could You Possibly Be at Risk of Mesothelioma?

Prolonged exposure to asbestos is the biggest risk factor of developing mesothelioma. Some of the other risk factors that may affect the chances of developing mesothelioma are:

• Genetic history of mesothelioma in the family: If your parent, aunt, uncle, siblings, or children have mesothelioma, you may be predisposed to a greater risk of mesothelioma.
• Personal history of asbestos exposure: If you have been exposed to the fibers of asbestos during your time at work or at home, your risk of developing mesothelioma is exponentially increased. Examples of workers whose job involves asbestos are electricians, plumbers, brake mechanics, pipefitters, some military personnel, shipyard workers, demolition workers, insulators, and home remodelers.
• Living with someone who works around asbestos: If your household has a worker whose job involves asbestos, you may be at risk of inhaling stray asbestos fibers that the worker’s clothes bring home.
• Radiation therapy to the chest: If you’ve had chest cancer radiation therapy, you may be at a greater risk of mesothelioma.

Possible Prevention from Mesothelioma

There are some ways to likely ensure as little exposure to asbestos as possible, thus mayhaps preventing possible mesothelioma.

• Shower and change your clothes before leaving work if you work with asbestos.
• Follow the safety regulations set by your employer (such as wearing protective equipment) to reduce exposure to asbestos.
• If you live in an old home, consult experts to detect asbestos. They may test the air to figure out whether there’s an asbestos-related risk to your health.

Available Treatments of Mesothelioma

Different factors affect the prognosis and treatment of mesothelioma, but there are five general treatment options that oncologists recommend based on the stage of mesothelioma.

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy

There are multiple clinical trials that are testing new treatments for mesothelioma and are trying to explore more options for patients. As of now, no treatment can permanently cure mesothelioma.

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• cancer
• mesothelioma
• causes
• health
• symptoms
• prevention