Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma Cancer
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma – Cause and Treatment
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma cancer, accounting for more than 75% of all documented cases. Affecting the mesothelial tissue lining of the lung cavity (pleura), malignant pleural mesothelioma is an extremely serious disease that is incurable and fatal.
The most common presenting symptom of malignant pleural mesothelioma is chronic chest pain that results from a buildup of fluid inside the pleural space; this is called pleural effusion. Pleural fluid can be drained to relieve the pain, though the symptom often returns shortly thereafter. A minor palliative surgical procedure can be administered to close the pleural space and prevent any further fluid buildup; this procedure is called pleurodesis.
Aside from chest pain, malignant pleural mesothelioma sufferers may also experience symptoms that include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chronic coughing
- Fever
- Weight loss
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed as viral pneumonia because of symptomatic similarities shared by the two. In order to provide a definitive pleural mesothelioma prognosis, a diagnostic surgical procedure called a biopsy is required. During a biopsy, a surgeon will remove a small section of suspect tissue to be examined by a histopathologist, an expert in the study of diseased tissue. A biopsy allows for the histopathologist to verify and stage the disease.
Cause of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
The only known cause of malignant pleural mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Asbestos is the name given to a group of six fibrous metamorphic minerals that were used for a variety of industrial and commercial purposes prior to asbestos’ regulation in 1970. Asbestos was most commonly used as a source of insulation. Resistant to heat or fire and high in tensile strength and flexibility, asbestos was the perfect insulator; that is until knowledge of its health hazards became widely known.
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Treatments
Malignant pleural mesothelioma treatment options are separated into two categories: traditional mesothelioma treatments and new mesothelioma treatments.
Traditional pleural mesothelioma treatment options are the same as those used to treat most other types of cancer and include:
- Surgery: the physical removal of cancerous tissue.
- Chemotherapy: the use of anticancer drugs to destroy cancer cells.
- Radiation therapy: the use of high energy radiation waves to destroy cancer cells.
Traditional pleural mesothelioma treatments have been unable to eradicate the disease, leading researchers to experiment with the development of new treatment modalities. Some of the newer pleural mesothelioma treatment options include:
- Development of new chemotherapy drugs (Alimta, Veglin, Onconase, etc.).
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): a more precise type of radiation therapy that limits the amount of healthy tissue treated with radiation.
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT): the use of lasers or light in conjunction with light sensitive drugs to target and destroy cancer cells.
- Gene therapy: the treatment of disease at the genetic level. Gene therapy alters cancer-causing genes by replacing them with normal ones.
- Immunotherapy (biological therapy): the treatment of disease through the enhancement of the body’s natural immune system defenses.
Although researchers remain confident, new pleural mesothelioma treatment options have not been any more successful than traditional methods of treatment.
Types of Mesothelioma
Although malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, it is not the only one. There are three distinct types of malignant mesothelioma, each one affecting a different section of the mesothelium:
- Pleural mesothelioma affects the pleura.
- Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the peritoneum (abdominal cavity).
- Pericardial mesothelioma affects the pericardium (heart sac).