Saturday, December 19, 2009

Some Information On Benign Mesothelioma

By Heidi Wingrain

A non-cancerous form benign mesothelioma occurs in the pleura, which is the lining of the lung and chest cavities. Benign mesothelioma is very rare, as mesothelioma infection lies dormant for a long duration of time before the very first sign appears. Over-exposure to asbestos particles is responsible for this type of cancer. Asbestos particles get accumulated in the mesothelium causing extreme pain. Though non-malignant tumor is found locally, it can compress the lung, if allowed to grow to greater size. Shortness of breath will be the result of this.

However, benign mesothelioma is a curable disease. Surgery is very effective if the growth is only local. The only possible complication during surgery is that sometimes the pleural fluid leaks into the cavity around the lung, which is medically termed pleural effusion. But since the fluid can easily be drained, this situation also does not pose any direct threat to lives. Investigation into this non-cancerous growth helps to find out if the patient has had any exposure to asbestos and thereby prevent the occurrence of life-threatening mesothelioma types like pleural, peritoneal or pericardial.

Though benign mesothelioma is not fatal, it can affect the overall well being of the victim. The significant symptoms of benign mesothelioma are localized pain, shortness of breath, chronic cough and chest pain. This can make you lead a miserable life. Chest CT scan and open lung biopsy are reliable techniques to find out the existence and level of infection.

There is no other effective cure to this cancer than surgery. If promptly done, the outcome is always good. It is imperative that the patient should contact a physician as and when any of these symptoms show up. But many patients do not develop any of these symptoms and the existence of the tumor is discovered accidentally. Another interesting fact is that it is men who are more vulnerable to benign mesothelioma than women. Experienced physicians can detect the tumor from the clubbed appearance of fingers.

There is the possibility of the situation to recur after ten years in at least 10% of the cases. But the good news is that it can also be cured through proper treatment. Apart from this benign mesothelioma may prompt you for detailed check ups, which will help you to prevent malignant mesothelioma.

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