Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Facts About Benign Mesothelioma

By Heidi Wingrain

Benign mesothelioma is fond very rarely as mesothelioma lies inactive for a considerable period of time before the first symptoms become visible. It is a non-cancerous form of tumor affecting the lining of the lung and chest cavities known as the pleura. Asbestos particles responsible for the cancer get accumulated in the mesothelium, causing severe pain. This tumor growing to excessive size leads to shortness of breath, compressing the lung.

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.

It is true that benign mesothelioma is not fatal. But it can create troubles in your life by inducing localized pain, shortness of breath etc. The overall health of the victim will be spoiled and mental peace destroyed. Chronic cough, chest pain, breathing problem etc are the major symptoms of benign mesothelioma. The presence and spread of this evil can be revealed through an open lung biopsy, x-ray or CT scan.

Surgery is the best option for this type of cancer. If it is done on time, better results can be expected. It is advisable to consult a doctor as soon as the symptoms appear. It may also happen that the tumor is discovered by chance without the appearance of any symptoms. It is also found that men become victims of benign mesothelioma than women. Detection of the tumor can be done by experienced doctors from the fingers, which appear clubbed.

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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