The first step to diagnosing mesothelioma is with
X-ray, CT scans, or MRIs. If something unusual is
detected, a biopsy will be needed. A biopsy is when a
surgeon or medical oncologist retrieves a sample of
tissue from the area that is believed to be cancerous.

This will usually be from an area of the lower lungs.
It is thoroughly examined by microscope by a
pathologist. This isn?t as painful as it sounds as the
area is numbed and a very small instrument takes the
physical sample.

If it ends up being true mesothelioma, the doctor then
needs to learn what stage it?s in. This requires more
scans and testing to see how large the cancerous
growth is and helps determine the best route to take
in regards to treatment.

Being diagnosed with mesothelioma is definitely a life
changing event and counseling as well as support
groups may be very beneficial. It is important to
remember that any cancer has a good rate of success if
caught early.

Treatment could be anything from a simple surgical
procedure to a couple sessions with chemotherapy or
radiation. Many lawsuits are in progress relating to
asbestos exposure so if you meet some of their
conditions, you may qualify for free or reduced
medical care.

The pleura is the outer lining that surrounds your
lungs. This lining lets your lungs have flexibility
when you breathe in or out. After exposure to
asbestos, a tumor may eventually develop in this area
creating what is known as pleural mesothelioma. This
is common if asbestos material has been inhaled either
by mining it or working in a factory that uses it in a
product.

The pericardium contains all of the hearts blood
vessels and arteries. This membrane separates the
heart from the rest of the chest cavity and ensures it
has greater protection. Occasionally, asbestos can go
from the lungs to the heart through the bloodstream
and tumors can develop. This is a very dangerous place
for a tumor to develop and is known as pericardial
mesothelioma.

The peritoneum is the large outer lining that protects
all of the organs in your abdominal cavity. This is
the least likely place for a tumor to develop from
asbestos but is very dangerous if it does occur. This
is known as peritoneal mesothelioma.

If you or someone you know have ever been around
anyone who worked with asbestos, it couldn?t hurt to
tell your doctor and have some tests run. Mesothelioma
is treatable like most cancer and surgery and
chemotherapy are just a couple of the available
options.

The pleura is composed of two distinct parts which are
the parietal and visceral pleura. The parietal pleura
is the lining on the wall of the chest and the
diaphragm and the visceral pleura is the inner lining
of the lungs themselves.

Asbestos is very fibrous and these tiny fibers can get
into even the tiniest passages in the lungs. Once it?s
in there, it has a reaction with cell development that
isn?t quite understood but the cells begin to divide
in an unusual manner.

This can lead to pleural thickening which greatly
decreases the capacity of the lungs and can accumulate
fluid as well. This can be seen in X-rays pretty
easily. CT scans and MRIs also can detect any
abnormalities in the lungs.

Smoking can cause long term symptoms similar to
pleural mesothelioma so it can be difficult to
diagnose. The best way is to tell your doctor if you
have ever been around anyone who worked with asbestos
or if a building you frequent has been shown to have a
lot of asbestos in it. Many lawsuits are filed every
year and you may even be entitled to free medical care
or compensation if you meet certain requirements.

Either way, they have been exposed and know the
chances are high of getting this type of cancer. It is
not just hard on the person who has it but their
entire network of family and friends. There are many
places to get support from others who have
mesothelioma or have had experience with it.

Many towns have cancer support groups that meet on a
weekly basis to share their experiences and offer hope
to others. This is a great way to reach out and get
the support you need from others in the same
situation.

Family members are often encouraged to attend so they
can express their feelings as well. Though often
skipped, this is a very useful tool and the people who
attend these meetings often know specialists in the
field and can offer great advice.

Mesothelioma websites and message boards are also a
great option. If you feel fatigued and don?t want to
leave the house, this the place to go. You can join
forums, get information, and find out all the latest
news you need to know on the Internet.

Smaller towns may not have an ?in-person? option when
it comes to support groups and the Internet is full of
sites dedicated to just what you are looking for. You
can also find a ton of information about lawyers if
needed.

Mesothelioma is hard to detect because you may not
have symptoms for many decades after you are exposed
to asbestos. Some of the common symptoms are shortness
of breath, fluid surrounding the lungs, fatigue, and a
harsh cough that may have blood in it.

Mesothelioma also has symptoms similar to a myriad of
other conditions such as Tuberculosis and other types
of lung cancer. The only way to be sure is to have
X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs performed.

Luckily, the odds of developing mesothelioma now are
pretty rare as measures are being taken by most
federal and state programs that make sure asbestos
isn?t used in common building materials and older
buildings are being thoroughly checked and rebuilt if
necessary. Asbestos commonly was wrapped around water
pipes in old buildings and used in ceilings.

Though it is naturally occurring, asbestos is
relatively hard to just stumble upon. It was used in
concrete, brake pads, and in many different fire-proof
materials for a very long time.

Miners and their families developed mesothelioma by
working in the mines, washing miner?s clothing, and
having a lot of it in their environment. In 1989, a
full ban on asbestos was issued by the Environmental
Protection Agency and work began to stop producing
materials that used it.

To be in the ?at risk? category, odds are you had to
have come into contact with asbestos at one time or
another. Asbestos is a mass of flexible fibrous
material that is naturally found in the Earth.

For many years it was used in common goods such as
shingles, brake pads, cement, flooring, and
insulation. The mining process as well as the plants
that manufactured products containing asbestos are the
top contributors to mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, many more people come into contact than
just the laborers. Their families are at great risk
because the particles come home on clothing and can
get all over the place. Laundry is a big factor.
Anyone who has handled the clothing of the workers is
at risk as well. This includes commercial laundry
facilities as well as homes.

Asbestos was almost completely banned in 1989 but it
has been in use since the late 1800s and peaked with
World War II. Mesothelioma takes anywhere from 20 to
50 years to show up so many people today are feeling
the effects of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. An X-ray, CT
scan, or MRI can tell you if you have mesothelioma. If
you have ever been around asbestos, it?s a good idea
to mention that to your physician.

Many people mistake the term chemotherapy for
radiation treatment but the two are not the same.
Chemotherapy relies on anticancer agents and drugs to
stop cancerous growths like those caused by
mesothelioma.

There are many different reasons to use chemotherapy
but they all depend on the end goal, stage of cancer,
and how early it is detected. For mesothelioma
patients, chemotherapy is often used in conjunction
with surgeries or in place of them if the patient
isn?t fit for surgery.

Chemotherapy is administered through a vein and often
the patient will get a catheter inserted into their
arm. This is so they don?t have to get repeated needle
pokes which can be painful and uncomfortable.

Side effects of chemotherapy are fairly common and
occur because the drugs may do damage to normal cells
in addition to the cancerous ones. This can cause
digestive problems, hair loss, and many other types of
side effects that your doctor will advise you of.

Chemotherapy isn?t right for every single patient. If
you have caught the mesothelioma very early on, it
could be simply removed by surgery.

Chemotherapy can also be pretty expensive but if the
treatment is needed, you may be able to have some or
all of the costs paid for by whoever exposed you. This
could be a factory or mine and odds are they have paid
out to many people already.

There are various procedures that you may have to
undergo and they can usually be classified in three
ways.

There are diagnostic procedures, palliative
procedures, and curative procedures.

Diagnostic procedures are basically the step after you
are suspected to have mesothelioma and you have fluid
buildup or what could be a tumor growing in either the
inner or outer lining of your lungs.

A common procedure is called a thoracoscopy. This
procedure is used to get an absolute diagnosis and
sometimes to check how large a tumor may be.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery is also an option
while in the diagnostic stage. A small camera is
inserted into the chest so the pathologist can get a
good look at what is going on and also get a sample of
tissues.

Palliative surgery is intended to treat one or more
symptoms of mesothelioma but doesn?t actually stop the
progression of the disease. A chest tube to drain
excess fluid build-up is one of the first symptoms and
can be persistent. Occasionally, a small catheter may
be used for continuous drainage.

Curative procedures, though not 100% effective, seek
to eliminate the entire tumor and hopefully cure the
disease without using chemotherapy or radiation. If
the tumor can?t be removed, sometimes the entire lung
may have to be excised. This is called pneumonectomy.
This procedure is also used in peritoneal mesothelioma
also.

Asbestos particles effect more than just those that
mine or work with it. It also can come home with them
and be inhaled by family members and even people at a
business close to a mine or factory. Pleural
mesothelioma is categorized in four distinct stages.

The most common system to determine the stage
mesothelioma is in is called the International
Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) system and is based
on the TNM system used in other types of cancer.

Stage one is when the cancer is beginning to affect
the outer layers of the lung or chest wall on one side
and may be on the diaphragm. This only applies when
the mesothelioma is on one side of the chest.

Stage two is when the mesothelioma is in both the
inner and outer layers of the lung and a tumor has
started to grow.

In stage three it may have spread to the chest wall or
possibly the pericardium or the sac that covers the
heart and its main arteries and blood vessels. It
could also be spread to the lymph nodes as well.

Stage four is when the tumor has grown too large to be
successfully removed with traditional surgical
methods. It could have spread to other organs, lymph
nodes on both sides of the chest, or above the
neckline.

Each stage has a variety of treatment options
available.

The early symptoms are non-specific so you might not
get diagnosed correctly for years. The symptoms can be
very similar to viral pneumonia if you have pleural
mesothelioma and can include shortness of breath,
chest pains and a cough that just doesn?t seem to go
away.

One of the more common symptoms of pleural
mesothelioma is something called pleural effusion.
This occurs when fluid builds up between the inner and
outer linings of the lungs.

These linings always produce a little bit of fluid so
your lungs slide along the inside of your chest
smoothly but if too much fluid is being produced,
complications can arise. When this is happening, you
will have a dry cough, chest pains, and shortness of
breath. An X-ray can be used to detect pleural
effusion.

To determine if this is happening, you will have to
have a biopsy after your initial scans. The biopsy
lets a pathologist get a good look at what cells are
there and what they are doing.

After you are sure you have mesothelioma, your doctor
can discuss the varied treatment options that are
available and you can decide on the one that sounds
the best for your situation. You may be entitled to
damages if a company you worked for has been involved
in a lawsuit relating to your situation.