Mesothelioma Facts

• Mesothelioma is a cancer that arises from abdominal cavities or the cells lining the chest.
• Mesothelioma in general results from exposure to asbestos.
• When mesothelioma have an effect on the chest, the doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a unique instrument called  thoracoscope.
• When mesothelioma affects the abdomen, the doctor may look inside the abdomen with a unique tool called a peritoneoscope.
• Mesothelioma is diagnosed by the biopsy.
• The outlook for the patients with mesothelioma depends on how early the disease is detected and how firmly it is treated.
• The first diagnosis or analysis of mesothelioma that was decisively linked to asbestos exposure was made in 1964.
• Mesothelioma develops in three major histologic types:Epithelial,Sarcomatoid and Biphasic.
• The number of mesothelioma cases is supposed to peak worldwide around 2020.
• More than 50% of patients can guess to be involved with emerging clinical trials.
• As of 2011, there have been over 175 clinical trials conducted related to mesothelioma.
• Additional asbestiform minerals for example erionite have been linked to mesothelioma. In the Turkish village of Tuzkoy, over half of the villagers have died of respiratory malfunctions together with mesothelioma.
• Patients in general experience a latency period of 25 to 50 years after primary exposure before symptoms arise. Less than 1 % of patients have a latency period shorter than 15 years.
• Around 14 to 30 people out of each million will be affected by mesothelioma each year.
• The National Institute of Health (NIH) guesses that is 11 million people were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1978.
• Approximately 50 percent of patients will experience a life span of 8 to 18 months after treatment. About 30 percent or more have a chance of living five years or longer.
• Males are four times more likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma than females.
• The disease is commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 50 and 70 years.
• Mesothelioma is diagnosed in the stages, ranging from I to IV. The higher point numbers indicate a more advanced case.