The Four Main Stages Of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a particularly nasty form of lung cancer that is caused exclusively by exposure at some time or other to asbestos
. It can take quite a long time form initial exposure to the asbestos prior to the disease symptoms starting to become noticed. When researching this topic it was found that most doctors typically divide the progression of this type of cancer into four main stages based on how far the cancer has spread within the victims body. The four main mesothelioma stages are as follows:
Stage one
In Stage one, the mesothelioma is generally confined to one side of the victims body. At this early stage, it is typically limited to the pleura. What is the pleura? Well, the two pleura form a membrane that surrounds the lung, and are separated by a layer of lubricating fluid. Mesothelioma within the pleura causes them to manufacture a lot more of this fluid than they really need.
On rare occasions, Stage one mesothelioma may also involve the lung itself. It may also involve the pericardium, which is the membrane that surrounds the heart, or even the diaphragm which is the muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest.
Stage two
In the second stage, the mesothelioma will have spread further. It now generally involves the chest wall, the esophagus (which connects the mouth to the stomach), or even the heart. It may affect the pleura on both sides of the body. It could also affect the chest's lymph nodes which is part of the immune system that works to filter out foreign particles.
Stage three
In the stage third, penultimate stage, the mesothelioma will have spread quite a bit further in the body. It is now spreading beyond the diaphragm and in the peritoneum (the membrane that surrounds the abdominal cavity). It may also start to affect lymph nodes outside of the chest area.
Stage four
In the last and final stage of the mesothelioma stages, the cancer will have gone through metastasis, that is, it has gone through the bloodstream to spread to the organs far away from the chest and abdomen throughout the body.
The symptoms caused by mesothelioma depend entirely on where it has spread to within the sufferers body. If it is confined to a lung (as is typical of early mesothelioma stages), it can cause dry coughing and loss of breath. If it has spread further afield to the peritoneum, it can cause fever, some swelling, and bowel or urinary problems. In the final stages, it can cause the victim to have trouble swallowing, sudden loss of weight, or even vomiting of blood.
This nasty disease is insidious and deadly, it is becoming increasingly common to hear of lawsuits for compensation claims. Many employers have exposed their workers to asbestos and thus themselves to lawsuits for monetary compensation.
by: Johnathon F Black
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