The lining made up of mesothelial cells is made up of two layers, the inner layer is called the visceral layer which surrounds the organs and the outer layer is called the parietal layer, which forms a sac around the visceral layer. Mesothelium makes fluids that fills up the space between the two layers. Due to growth of cancer cells the membrane thickens and compresses the organ, which causes breathing difficulty and abdominal swelling.
The mesothelioma symptoms can be shortness of breath, chest pain, painful coughing and weight loss. As the disease progresses it may cause night sweats, change in voice due to tumour invasions etc.
The treatment for mesothelioma depends on the stage of cancer and its location. For most of the people with this disease the cure is not possible. As the disease does not show any symptoms during the early stages, it is diagnosed only at advanced stages, where there is no possible way to remove the cancer, the only treatment your doctor can provide is to make you feel comfortable. The treatments which can reduce the symptoms and make the patient comfortable are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and combination therapy, as reported in MedicineNet.com.
The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance is an organization which provides the required information about this deadly aggressive type of cancer and also serves the patients and their families who are suffering from Mesothelioma.
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