Pleural Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that affects the delicate membrane lining in the thorax. Sometimes a few benign cases are also noticed. Three thousand new incidences of pleural mesothelioma are reported in the United States every year. Usually the patient dies within eighteen months from diagnosis. Unprotected contact with asbestos is the only known cause of this disease. The general view seems to be that most of the cases could have been possibly prevented if the asbestos manufacturers who knew about the ill effects of the product had warned their workers and taken the required safeguards. Today the industry is strapped with lawsuits totaling billions of dollars over the issue and some of the companies have gone bankrupt. Pleural Mesothelioma is normally detected in people of the 60-70 years age group. This is mainly because the killer takes two to four decades to develop and manifest. Not only those who have worked in asbestos factories or have otherwise come into regular contact with material (like loading and unloading workers) but their families as well run the risk of being struck by the disease because of the asbestos dust the workers carry home on their bodies and clothing. Sometimes the heating systems are padded with asbestos to increase the efficiency. Till a few years back some ships used to be insulated with this toxic material. The mesothelioma pleural patient goes through four distinctive stages en route to the inevitable end. Diagnosis is difficult for two reasons. First is the time lag for the symptoms to appear. Secondly the symptoms like shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, and weight loss, are common to several other diseases. Traditional treatment for pleural mesothelioma is not very effective. If the problem is detected during the initial stage, surgery could possibly control it. In certain cases Brachytherapy could be a substitute for surgery. Pain management could be helped to some extent by radiotherapy. Chemotherapy doesnt seem to be effectual. A great deal of research is afoot to discover better management procedures for pleural mesothelioma. Some new methods of treatment are being tried out. |
