Mesothelioma

I came across this dreaded disease on the net which is caused by excessive exposure to asbestos whose name I couldn't even pronounce correctly, Mesothelioma. This disease affects the mesothelium, (hence the name) where malignant cells develops. Mesothelium is a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. It is commonly found at the pleura which is the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity. It can also be found at the peritoneum which is the lining of the abdominal cavity and pericardium which is the sac that surrounds the heart.

Asbestos is available in many commercial uses and is classified into two groups, Serpentine and Amphibole. For Serpentine group, chrysotile is the form of asbestos that has been used commercially. It is usually present including but not limited to the following materials:

• sheetrock taping
• mud and texture coats
• vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives and ceiling tiles
• plasters and stuccos
• roofing tars, felts, siding, and shingles
• "transite" panels, siding, countertops, and pipes
• acoustical ceilings
• fireproofing
• putty
• caulk
• gaskets
• brake pads and shoes
• clutch plates
• stage curtains
• fire blankets

For the Amphibole group, amosite and crocidolite were used in many products until the early 1980s. The use of all types of asbestos under this group was banned in the mid-1980s. These products were mainly:

• Low density insulation board and ceiling tiles
• asbestos-cement sheets and pipes for construction, casing for water and electrical/telecommunication services
• thermal and chemical insulation (i.e., fire rated doors, limpet spray, lagging and gaskets)

According to the information I gathered, symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Since I was conceived during the 1980s, I became worried because during my growing up years, I remember our house went through a lot of renovations and makeovers. This renovations and makeovers involved cement which during those times may or may not contain asbestos. The scariest part about this disease is that it has no known cure yet and after diagnosis, the median survival time of patients who had this disease is between 6 to 12 months. However, there are ways to alleviate the person's suffering like surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, etc. and according to statistics, these may add up to 5 years of patient's survival time.

I really hope I am just being paranoid. Last time I checked (through employment medical examination), my lungs are nothing like the picture above. My fingers are crossed and hope they remain the same for the next 20 or so years. Now, if yours resembles the x-ray picture above, be very worried and visit your nearest doctor for a check-up.

Source: Wikipedia