A Brief Mesothelioma Definition
The mesothelioma definition is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells that line many organs such as the lungs.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that affects the mesothelium, where without order the mesothelial cells divide uncontrollably and become abnormal.
The mesothelium, which is made up of mesothelial cells, is a membrane that lines three of the body’s cavities: abdominal cavity (peritoneum), heart sac (pericardium), and thoracic cavity (pleura). In most cases the cancer will begin in the thoracic cavity (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (peritoneum) and then The cancer can invade nearby tissues and organs and damage them.
For those diagnosed with mesothelioma, such as sarcomatoid mesothelioma or asbestos lung mesothelioma, almost everyone has had contact with asbestos. Sources such as the The Mesothelioma Cancer Center point out that almost 100% of mesothelioma cases are caused from asbestos.
In the United States, there is up to 3,000 cases for mesothelioma diagnosed each year.
Mesothelioma affects men more frequently than women, about four times more frequent. And all forms of mesothelioma, except for benign mesothelioma, are invariably fatal.
The prognosis for mesothelioma is almost always poor and most studies report a median survival of less than one year.
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