Who Gets Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma in itself is one of the deadliest diseases ever to have been discovered by mankind. Medically, Mesothelioma as a word itself means a tumor that is more likely to transform in a fast proliferating cancer which affects the mesothelial cells of an organ, which form the protective thin covering over the organs like heart, lungs and abdomen.
Mesothelioma is a tragic disease that affects between 2,000 and 3,000 new people each year in the United States. If you or a loved one is a victim of mesothelioma, you are likely facing many emotions as you make important treatment and care decisions. Often, the survival time may be only one year. This is because by the time mesothelioma presents symptoms in the patient, it is very advanced. In cases where detection of mesothelioma is early, roughly half of victims will survive two years, and 20% will survive five years. The median survival is about 17 months from the beginning of symptoms. Most mesothelioma cases are directly related to asbestos exposure. However, inhalation of asbestos fibers does not immediately cause asbestos cancer - it may take twenty years or more for mesothelioma symptoms to begin.
Mesothelioma, by definition, can occur wherever there is mesothelium. This includes the visceral mesothelium lining various organs such as the lungs, the heart, the kidneys, etc. Also included is the parietal mesothelium lining the body cavities such as the pleura, the peritoneum, the pericardium, etc? For the most part however, mesothelioma is rare and is strongly associated with cancer of the pleura (mesothelium lining the lungs) due to asbestos exposure.
Malignant mesothelioma is relatively uncommon compared to other tumors. However, Australia has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world, at 40 cases per million people. Other industrialized countries, which have mined and used asbestos, such as the United States, England, Canada and South Africa, have similar but slightly lower rates of disease.
The incidence of mesothelioma increases with age, with most patients presenting between 50 and 80 years of age. This is because there is a latency period of as long as 50 years between exposure to asbestos and development of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is far more common in men than in women, with a ratio of 4:1.
And usually this disease is found to affect people and workers who work in industries. Usually, industries use asbestos as an imperative input for carrying on different processes; it is being used in factories, automobile, shipyard and construction. Direct exposure to loose asbestos fibers can develop the symptoms of mesothelioma, but the infected cells can remain dormant in the body for a long period of about 15-20 years.
But the worst par of the disease is the fact that this disease generally gets detected in older days i.e. at the age of 50-60 years and also mostly in the last stage, therefore, reducing the chances of the individual’s recovery. So this is very necessary that people who are likely to take in much asbestos particles should be scanned regularly for any symptoms of mesothelioma.
