Difference Between Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma

Many people ask this question, to which the answer is both simple and complex. Mesothelioma is often talked about as though it is a form of lung cancer. It is not. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the lining or membrane, around an organ, such as a lung, abdomen, or the heart. Mesothelioma is a diffuse malignancy. It invades a tissue area as a large number of interlocked tumors and the boundaries between malignant tissue and healthy tissue are blurred and, eventually, dissolved. This is the primary reason that mesothelioma remains so difficult to treat. The large extent of malignant tissue makes complete surgical resection very difficult.

While lung cancer works differently. It arises within the lungs themselves and is characterized by individualized tumor masses. Even for people with multiple masses, the tumors generally possess clear boundaries. The tumors can grow quite large and in its late stages and most aggressive forms,  Lung cancer involves the lung tissue and airways, which is contained entirely within the pleural lining and does not involve the pleura. Where other organs are involved the mesothelial lining has other names, such as peritoneum for the mesothelial lining of the peritoneum (abdominal cavity), and pericardium for the lining around the heart. Lung cancer is just as deadly as mesothelioma. However, it is much more amenable to treatment than mesothelioma is.

There are other differences between lung cancer and mesothelioma as well. While asbestos exposure is a causative factor for both disorders, it is the only known cause of mesothelioma while lung cancer can be caused by other agents—including cigarette smoking.

So the differences is clear now. Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in this lining. It is caused by asbestos being inhaled into the lungs. From their, the asbestos fibers are absorbed into the body. How exactly they get into the mesothelium is unknown, but they clearly due. Mesothelioma can spread throughout the entire body core or remain in a particular area. If caught very early, treatment options exist. If caught late, it is rarely survived.

So, how do Mesothelioma and lung cancer get confused when it comes to asbestos exposure? Well, Mesothelioma often occurs in the mesothelium lining around the lungs. Although not technically lung cancer, once can see how the two would get confused. Still, it is important to remember that each is unique and calls for different treatments.

The Relationship Between Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death due to cancer in both men and women throughout the world. Lung cancer is a result from an abnormality of cells in the body. Lung cancer is sometimes called "bronchogenic cancer," or it may be described by its particular histologic type, that is the type of tissue that is diseased.

Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly; almost 70% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are over 65 years of age, while less than 3% of lung cancers occur in people under 45 years of age.

Everybody knows that cigarette smoking is the most closely related link to developing lung cancer. As a matter of fact, the earlier one begins smoking and the higher the number of cigarettes one smokes, the higher the chances of getting lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos, radiation, and pollution are also some of the other causes of lung cancer.

Asbestos exposure is one of the cause of lung cancer and mesothelioma.  Asbestos is a bunch of naturally occurring minerals that are resistant to fire and chemical substances. They are fibrous mineral forms of impure magnesium silicate and located in fire-proofing materials, electrical insulation, cement, shingles, acoustic and decorative ceiling plaster, and additional construction materials. When repairing, removing, or disturbing asbestos-containing supplies, tiny asbestos dust will be dispersed into the open air. Asbestos separates into fine silica fibers that become trapped in the tissues of the lungs. 

Mesothelioma is inextricably linked to asbestos exposure. There are no reported cases of mesothelioma in people who were not exposed to asbestos either in the workplace or through their environment. 

3 Types of Asbestos Lung Disease

The chances of asbestos lung disease were raised by 700% compared to people who are not exposed theasbestos. An increasing number of people are found to be afflicted with lung cancer in the recent years. A careful look shows that many of these lung diseases that people have are directly related to asbestos.

There are 3 main types of asbestos-related lung illness. The first is Asbestosis, second is disease in the lung lining (pleura) and the third one is the lung cancer. We will differentiate these three types of lung diseases. Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the tissue of the lungs caused by inhalation and severe exposure of asbestos. In short, is a widespread scarring in the lungs.

The second type of lung disorder caused by asbestos is the disease on the lung lining or in medical terms, it is called pleura. This disease shows signs and symptoms resulting in the hardening or thickening of the tissue lining.

The last is the lung cancer which is either located in the internal portion of the lungs or the outer lining (pleura).

Malignant pleural mesothelioma : What everyone should know about this

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a cancer which arises from the mesothelial cells found within the pleural membranes that cover the lungs. This cancer is one of the rarest in the world. It only manifests in people who are constantly exposed to large amounts of asbestos dust.

Mesothelioma or cancer of the lung lining is different from lung cancer. This lining is called mesothelium and that is the reason why the condition is termed as Mesothelioma. The Mesothelioma life expectancy is much less than that of lung cancer.


The majority of malignant mesotheliomas occur in people who have been exposed to asbestos, either directly or via people they live with. Malignant mesothelioma is relatively uncommon compared to other tumours. Most of the three thousand such cases reported in the United States every year are malignant. Australia has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world, at 40 cases per million people. Other industrialised countries which have mined and used asbestos, have similar but slightly lower rates of disease.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma goes through four separate stages. Initially it is restricted to the pleura, the membrane in the thoracic cavity. Next the lymph nodes are affected. In the third stage there would be local spreading of the disease. Finally the cancer penetrates to other parts of the body. Often, death strikes within six to eighteen months of diagnosing the disease depending on the stage at which the problem was identified.

The symptoms of this cancer take a very long time before appearing. Sometimes, it will take as long as twenty to fifty years before you even realize that something is from. And by that time this happens, it will probably be too late for treatment. Depending on the location of the cancer, the outward symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include breathing and swallowing difficulty, loss of weight, constant coughing, chest congestion and pain, spitting blood, and fever. Detailed investigations reveal irregular thickening of pleura and fluid collection, reduced space between the lung lobes, and mineral deposits.

As you can see, most of these symptoms do not seem dangerous at first glance. But you should not ignore them. If your cough doesn’t go away and you can’t stop losing weight then you should have yourself checked by a doctor. Doctors can perform specific diagnostic exams using x-rays and ct scans to check whether or not you are suffering from.

Asbestosis Treatment : How to Treat The Disease

Asbestosis is a disease caused by Asbestos exposure. This is a respiratory illness that affects the lungs. It's not always detected, as the symptoms are similar to those of generally getting older, and being slightly overweight.


If any of the symptoms of asbestos exposure were found, then you clearly need
treatments. The treatments for asbestos vary depending on the type of disease the person contracts. There are many options and some are disease-specific, which means that the treatment option is only applicable to a certain disease.


At present, there is no cure for asbestosis. The lung tissue that has been scarred cannot be repaired but further damage can be prevented by ending asbestos exposure. Treatments are available to manage the symptoms but not the disease. It is important, though, to stop exposure to asbestos fibers as well as to dust, smoke and other irritants.


If you are diagnosed with asbestosis, doctor will likely instruct you on how to an asbestos bronchial drainage which leads to excessive coughing to remove unwanted materials in the bronchi. He generally will recommend the use of pain killers, bronchodilators and antibiotics for relieving the symptoms. If lung function has been greatly affected, oxygen therapy might be required as well. Bronchodilators may help the shortness of breath. It relax the airways so that more air can be inhaled into the lungs. The asbestosis patients may suffer excessive lung scarring, hence a postural drainage procedure might be employed to remove these secretions in order to improve lung capacity. Oxygen supplementation could be administered for more sever cases of asbestosis.


People diagnosed with asbestosis, have to limit the exposure to asbestos and smoking. The latter contributes a lot to contracting inflammatory diseases. The first line of defense is to give you antibiotics to resolve other respiratory diseases. Those who continue to smoke even after being diagnosed with asbestosis are more likely to develop lung cancer.


The symptoms of asbestos exposure can also be relieved to some extent by following alternative healing therapies such as acupuncture, meditation, deep breathing exercises, herbal remedies and homeopathy. If you have been exposed to asbestos in the past, it is advisable to have yourself diagnosed by a surgeon who specializes in asbestos exposure cases. Early detection is your best protection against diseases caused by asbestos exposure. With an early diagnosis and asbestos exposure treatment, you can increase your chances of containing the disease.

Symptoms Asbestos Exposure : Know The Signs

The symptoms of Asbestos exposure is a "red flag" that should be immediately sent an individual straight to a physician if any symptoms are diagnosed. It is better if the physician is familiar with Asbestos disease, because the sooner that an asbestos disease is identified, the sooner the treatment will begin. This is particularly important for cancers caused by asbestos exposure.

Many studies reported that the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure is particularly hazardous. Smoking seems to increase the frequency and/or the rate of progression of asbestosis, possibly by preventing the efficient elimination of inhaled fibers from the airways. Smokers who are exposed to asbestos have a risk of developing lung cancer that is greater than the individual risks from asbestos and smoking added together.

Most asbestos exposure symptoms don't begin to manifest until 15-30 years after initial inhalation. With the lack of early warning signs, it makes that wait all the more dangerous. Normally, you won't even notice anything until the cancer has actually gotten to a life-threatening stage.

Short term exposure to asbestos may show up symptoms like, shortness of breath. In such cases, one can experience the short term asbestos exposure symptoms like, abdominal pain, chest pain and irritation of the skin and the mucus membrane, along with shortness of breath. Another symptoms can be spotted are :

• Shortness of breath, hoarseness or wheezing
• A persistent cough that gets worse over time, or a change in cough pattern
• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up from the lungs
• Difficulty in breathing
  
• Pain in the abdomen
• Difficulty swallowing
• Unexplained weight loss
  
• Fatigue or anemia
• Crackling sound in the lungs during inhalation
• Swelling of the neck and/or face
• Loss of appetite
• Coughing up blood
• Wheezing
• Nausea

Having one or more of these symptoms does not mean that you have an asbestos related health problem, but it could be some other problem not related to Asbestos at all, but it is advisable to get it checked by your physician immediately.

You may be asked to get X-rays of the chest removed, or a CT scan done, or if the case is found to be of severe nature, a lung biopsy to detect the asbestos fibers could be performed.

Visiting the physician once you are aware of any symptoms of asbestos exposure could not just prolong, but possibly even save your life.

Asbestos Exposure : The working's man killer

As what have been written about Mesothelioma on the previous post, the most harmful cause is Asbestos. Asbestos is a natural fiber that has been used extensively in myriad industries for the last century.

Asbestos can be found in various sizes and shapes around the world.

It has three most common types : white asbestos (chrysotile), brown asbestos (armosite) and blue asbestos (corcidolite). All three of these silica have been associated with lung diseases - both non-cancerous as well as cancerous.

Asbestos is much used in the construction of many buildings and places of business. Asbestos is prized for its heat and flame resistance, soundproofing, and insulating properties, it also poses significant threats to human health. Unknowing workers worked in these structures each day not know that there was danger lurking in the walls and ceiling. The building and construction industry uses Asbestos for strengthening cement and plastics as well as for heat insulation, fireproofing, and sound absorption. The shipbuilding industry has used asbestos to insulate boilers, steam- pipes, hot water pipes, and nuclear reactors in ships.

Those who worked at any one of these jobsites were likely exposed to a number of asbestos-containing products and are now at risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. When people are exposed to asbestos then three different types of lung diseases can develop: 1) asbestosis; 2) lung cancer; and 3) disease of the pleura - the lining of the lung.

Read more at http://www.articlealley.com/article_1899921_23.html?ktrack=kcplink

What is mesothelioma ?

Mesothelioma is a real rare type of cancer that develop in the outer membrane of some internal organs of the human body.

It is a rare type of cancer that can attack some parts in the body and causing malignant tumors in those parts, the parts that can develop mesothelioma cancer can be parted into three parts, It develops in the outer membrane of the lungs which known as the pleura, and it also develop in the outer membrane of the internal organs in the abdominal cavity and may develop in the outer membrane of the heart which known as the pericardium.

Usually the cancer will mould the exterior protective lining of the lungs or along the chest cavity. In some cases it may form around the exterior of the heart.

Mesothelioma basically consists of three types : Pleural Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium surrounding the lungs), Peritoneal Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium surrounding the stomach), and Pericardial Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium surrounding the heart).


The cause from this mesothelioma cancer is asbestos. Asbestos is a class of minerals appearing naturally in fibrous form. Asbestos found extensive usage in building material, insulation material, and many other uses due to its excellent properties of tensile strength, flexibility, and heat / corrosion / chemical resistance.


Literally millions of Americans were exposed to it. Asbestos insulation was a common form of its use up through the 1960s. Popcorn ceilings, very popular in the early 60’s as a way to give texture to a ceiling, also contained asbestos. Household products like oven mittens were and heating pads were in nearly every home and all contained asbestos.