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What is Mesothelioma?
The National Cancer Institute states that "Malignant mesothelioma, a
rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells
are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of
the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart
(the pericardium)."
Mesothelioma is pronounced as "mez–o–thee–lee-omah" and
begins in the lining of several organs. This lining is a tissue
called mesothelium that protects organ by secreting specific fluid
that allows the organs to move. Essentially, it is this specific
fluid that allows the lung to move while breathing. In a way, this
lining, the mesothelium acts as a lubricant between organs.
This lubricant surrounds our vital organs such as the lungs, stomach, and
the heart. Mesothelioma can start in any of these places; the
resulting tumor can be benign or cancerous. More often than not,
mesothelioma starts in the chest cavity. This specific mesothelioma
is called “pleural mesothelioma”. The remaining form of
mesothelioma originate in the abdomen, these certain mesothelioma is
called “peritoneal mesothelioma”. The rarest of these are the
one that starts near the heart.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to diagnose mesothelioma
due to large latency in time before the diagnosis and the rate of
progression of mesothelioma.
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