mesothelioma

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is another name added in the list of death we call mesothelioma cancer. It is scientifically called malignant mesothelioma because it is developed from the mesothelium, the protective lining that covers many of our internal organs. This membrane is protecting our organs in different ways as it is made of two different layers and it’s allowing our internal organs to move and to function properly. It is generally called mesothelium but it has other names depending on the organ it’s protecting. Doctors call it peritoneum, to the one protecting the abdominal cavity, pleura to one protecting the lungs or pericardium to the one protecting the heart. We mentioned only few examples so you can make an idea to what is the role and importance of this tissue.

Mesothelioma is a disease that affects this tissue. Scientists say it is caused by the exposure to asbestos. What is actually does is breaking the cells from this membrane and spreading them all over the body causing inefficiency in the role of the protecting membrane. Mesothelioma can have different stages of developing and the most common forms affect the peritoneum and Pleural. In United States it is still a rare form of cancer, but in the past years the number of people suffering on this disease has increased and each ear 2000 new cases are reported. The action of this disease starts with the bad functioning of the tissue surrounding internal organs, but it can affect the organ itself to have an abnormal functioning to dividing cells without any control or order and it can end with the organs changing their normal location in the body to new positions.

Mesothelioma is triggered by asbestos particles and people that work or have worked in such work environment are exposed to this disease and also those that worked in glass environment or had contact with the clothing of these people. New law suits are opened each year and more mesothelioma attorney are prepared in cases of demanding and collecting damages for the asbestos related diseases and mesothelioma is one of them. Since the 1800s when asbestos has become important commercially and mines developed rapidly, millions of Americans and their families have been exposed to asbestos dust and all sort of diseases it brought along with it. Today limits are imposed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to lower the exposure to asbestos particles because the damage caused needs to come to an end as people that have been exposed a shorter period of time developed this form of cancer too. Other measures in protecting people from this disease were taken at the work place, by having the people to take special showers when leaving from work, so the spread of asbestos particles is reduced as much as possible. The risks to this rare form of cancer can be decreased if employers would take into account the safety measures for workers and if people too would not accept to take chances as they did years ago.