Mesothelioma Cancer – An Overview by Dallas mesothelioma attorneys

2008-08-29 05:18:09 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Health & Fitness, Law)

Dallas mesothelioma lawyers educates on Mesothelioma Cancer. Fort Worth, TX (WiredPRNews.com)—Mesothelioma, a rare form of malignant cancer, attacks the mesothelium protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs in the chest or abdominal cavities.

“Mesothelioma most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum),” according to the mesothelioma web page at Medicinenet.com. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the chest. Peritoneal mesothelioma is much less common and affects the abdominal organs. Pericardial mesothelioma, a cancer that attacks the sac surrounding the heart, is the rarest form of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma makes the cells of the mesothelium divide uncontrollably and, at times, invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum, according to the National Institute of Cancer’s mesothelioma web page.

Symptoms of mesothelioma—depending on the stage and affected area—can include nausea, bowel obstruction, weight loss, decreased appetite, night sweats and shortness of breath. An abnormal chest X-ray or physical exam can reveal mesothelioma in asymptomatic patients.

A common thread in mesothelioma cases is the exposure to asbestos in work environments. Since asbestos disease can stay latent for years, patients with mesothelioma may be asymptomatic until decades after their initial exposure. The amount of exposure to asbestos needed to cause mesothelioma varies, but four to eight weeks is enough for the cancer to start developing.

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of are diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the National Cancer Institute’s mesothelioma web page. The cancer occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but mesothelioma can appear in either men or women at any age.

http://www.medicinenet.com/mesothelioma/article.htm
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma
http://www.cancermonthly.com/cancer_basics/mesothelioma.asp

If you are effected by asbestos cancer called mesothelioma, contact a personal injury law firm that specializes in mesothelioma law. For assistance with pleural mesothelioma cases in Dallas, contact the law office of Dallas personal injury lawyers / attorneys of Eberstein & Witherite / Dallas mesothelioma lawyers