Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, a rare cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells that make up the mesothelium, a membrane that lines many of the body’s organs and cavities. In the case of pleural mesothelioma, the cancer develops in the lining of the lungs, called the pleura or pleural membrane.

Mesothelioma pleural disease is often seen in people who have been exposed to high levels of asbestos on the job. It sometimes takes 10 years or more for changes to appear that are indicative of pleural disease which affects the thin membrane layer in the chest. These differences can include a thickening or calcification of the pleural lining and is usually diagnosed as pleural plaques, pleural thickening and pleural calcification.

Asbestos fibers work their way into the smallest passageways of the lungs and then into the pleura. As the cells begin to divide abnormally, the pleural lining thickens and excess fluid may accumulate. Pleural thickening gradually contracts the breathing space, causing shortness of breath-often the first symptom for the mesothelioma  pleural disease. The fluid, once carefully measured to allow smooth movement between the lungs and other organs, now causes increased pressure, further hindering breathing. This excess fluid is often seen on X-rays, and is referred to as a pleural effusion.

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms

The most common symptom for pleural mesothelioma patients is chest pain. But, the pain often is not associated directly with the lung pleura and often appears in the shoulder or upper abdomen. Shortness of breath, called dyspnea, is also a symptom. Cough, weight loss and anorexia are present in some patients, but are less common.

Finally, the rapid growth of the pleural mesothelioma cancer tumors   enlarges the pleural space, causing it to fill with fluid, which leads to the discomfort or pain associated with first detection of the disease.

Pleural Mesothelioma Prognosis

Currently, the prognosis for those diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma is not good. Many patients die within six months of diagnosis, some last up to a year, but few survive much beyond that length of time. Clinical trials are constantly underway in hopes that a cure for the disease or a way to further prolong the life of a mesothelioma pleural sufferer will be discovered.

Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment

Extrapleural pneumonectomy is surgery to remove a diseased lung, part of the pericardium, part of the diaphragm, and part of the parietal pleura. Extrapleural pneumonectomy may improve survival, but its impact on long-term survival is unknown.

Treatment options for pleural mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Multimodal (combination) treatment including all three of these options has worked well for some otherwise healthy people in the early stage of pleural mesothelioma. Radiation therapy has been shown to alleviate pain in most patients although the duration of symptom control is short-lived.

Frequently, treatment for mesothelioma pleural is aimed at relieving symptoms, rather than curing the disease. New treatment options are being tested in clinical trials and many are leading to promising findings.