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Mesothelioma Facts Mesothelioma is a particular uncommon form of cancer that takes place in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is made up of visceral including parietal membranes which surround organs including body cavities, such as the lungs or abdomen. The visceral membrane immediately surrounds the organ, including the parietal membrane is a sac covering the visceral membrane. There is a lubricating fluid between these membranes that make up the mesothelium. the fluid helps organs move easily between surrounding structures. In the case pertaining to the lung, it helps reduce friction between the lung including chest wall during normal breathing as the lung expands. Here are more facts regarding mesothelioma: There are different types of mesothelioma In the abdomen, it is called peritoneal mesothelioma; on the lungs, it is called pleural mesothelioma; including if it develops on the heart, pericardial mesothelioma. It develops mostly on the lungs: The most common location for mesothelioma to develop is on the lungs. regarding two-thirds of all mesothelioma cases develop in the pleural mesothelium. the mesothelioma on the lungs is called malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The remaining cases develop in the peritoneal mesothelium in the abdomen. A tumor in the abdominal mesothelium is called peritoneal mesothelioma. Rarely, mesothelioma occurs in other mesothelial tissue, such as on the heart or on the reproductive organs. It may have other causes: Although asbestos is the major cause of mesothelioma, up to 30–50% of all cases are not clearly related to previous asbestos exposure. Other possible reasons include previous exposure to radiation or to particular minerals closely related to asbestos that are found in the soil. Smoking has not been shown to be a cause of mesothelioma. However, if a smoker has additionally been exposed to asbestos, the significantly increases his or her risk of developing other types of lung cancer. It has a long development time: It has a long latency period, which means that symptoms don’t develop for 20–50 years after environmental exposure. The average age at which symptoms usually start to appear is around 60 years old. It occurs more in men than in women: Mesothelioma affects men regarding 3 times more often than women in the US. Occurrence rises gradually with age. In other parts pertaining to the world, where exposure comes primarily from other environmental sources, such as in Turkey, mesothelioma occurs regarding equally in men including women. It is a rare disease: An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the US. In other countries, the number of cases varies. Overall, the number of cases reported each year seems to be increasing. Mesothelioma Cure: Doctors including researchers are searching including working hard to find solutions pertaining to a cure for Mesothelioma but have not discovered any yet.
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