Pericardial Mesothelioma
Predicted to increase in number until the year 2020, mesothelioma cancer cases are not just on the rise, but are affecting a far wider range of individuals than initially believed possible. This is largely due to the cause of the disease - which is the inhalation of asbestos fibers over time. Over the course of the last 50 years, the use of asbestos in the United States was widespread, only falling out of favor when it was discovered that breathing in asbestos dust for long periods came with serious health risks. In the 1970s, asbestos use was banned unless proper safety precautions were taken but, by that point, it was too late - thousands of Americans, both workers and their families, had been exposed to deadly asbestos fibers. Thanks to the long incubation period of the disease, many cases of mesothelioma did not arise until long after the use of asbestos had stopped. The most common type of this cancer seen in patients is what is known as pleural mesothelioma, and will affect the lining of the lungs. Though far more rare, pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the heart, is also a very aggressive form of this cancer.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma
Asbestos fibers are both extremely long and extremely thin, meaning that they are easily inhaled by humans. Unfortunately, their length and size means that they can quickly become lodged in the membranous linings around organs in the chest cavity and, once there, cannot be naturally removed by the body. It is possible for these fibers to lay dormant for years or decades and then suddenly cause the abnormal division and growth of cells surrounding them, giving rise to cancer. Because of the low numbers of mesothelioma cases overall, and pericardial mesothelioma specifically, the exact mechanism of action for the development of mesothelioma is not yet known and the outlook for many patients is not bright.
Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest form of this asbestos-related cancer and represents only 1 to 6 percent of all mesothelioma cases. Worldwide, it has affected less than 300 people. This type of malignant mesothelioma affects the lining of the heart and, once diagnosed, can proceed rapidly, creating not only tumors around the heart but tumors that spread to distant sites in the body. Because of their position around the heart, removing pericardial mesothelioma tumors surgically is often impossible, resulting in a prognosis that is often worse than for those who are suffering with another type of mesothelioma. The bulk of treatments for those who are affected by pericardial mesothelioma are palliative in nature and focus on ensuring that the life they have left is lived as comfortably as possible. In order to ensure that the patients live for as long as possible and have a chance at mitigating the effects of this cancer, it is important that it be diagnosed as soon as possible. For this reason, it is essential that patients disclose to their doctor any work they may have done with asbestos or any long-term exposure that they may have had to the material, in order to ensure that the right diagnosis is made.
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