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Types of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is mainly caused by the exposure of the individual to the naturally occurring mineral known as asbestos. The asbestos industry as well as the various governments was aware about the harm that the people working with asbestos could face. Yet they chose to hide the fact from the people and persisted with the use of asbestos. As a result a large population of this world were exposed to this mineral and now face the risk of developing mesothelioma.
There are mainly three types of mesothelioma that have the highest rate of occurrence. These are pleural mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma, and peritoneal mesothelioma.
The pleural mesothelioma:
The pleural mesothelioma affects the pleural membrane that surrounds the lungs and the chest cavity. This type of mesothelioma is one of the most common types of mesothelioma that constitutes around 75 percent of all the cases of mesothelioma. The asbestos fiber is very small in size. Once inside the lungs through direct inhalation it can easily make its way into the pleura where they result in the formation of the cancerous cells. The cancerous growth can limit the movement of the lungs and also lead to the thickening of the fluid in the pleura. The tumor can also constrict the lungs and press on the ribcage that can cause tremendous pain to the patient. On many occasions the pleural mesothelioma is often confused with the other ailments like Laryngitis, whooping cough, the flu, and Pneumonia.
The pericardial Mesothelioma:
The pericardial mesothelioma is one of the rarest types of mesothelioma. In this type of mesothelioma the pericardial membrane that surrounds the heart region gets afflicted with the cancer. This type of cancer is also caused by the asbestos fibers that find their way inside the pericardial region and gets lodged in there. Inside the pericardial region they start interfering with the normal functioning of the mesothelial cells. The mode of their interference with the mesothelial cells is still unknown to the medical scientists. However their interference with the mesothelial cells leads to the development of cancerous cells in the mesothelium. Like the other types of mesothelioma the pericardial mesothelioma is also always detected in its last stages.
The Peritoneal Mesothelioma:
The peritoneal mesothelioma is the cancer of the thin membrane surrounding the gastrointestinal tract. The main reason for the peritoneal mesothelioma is the exposure of the individual to the asbestos fiber. This asbestos fiber makes its way into the peritoneal region through direct ingestion or through the action of the lymph nodal system. One inside the mesothelium the asbestos fiber remains dormant for 30 to 40 years. After such a long time span it starts interfering with the natural functioning of the mesothelial cells and results in the development of the cancerous tissues. The peritoneal mesothelioma is also detected in the last stages as the latency period of the asbestos fiber is very long. As a result at that time the only thing that the patient can hope for and the physicians do is the increasing of the quality of the remaining life of the patient.
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