Mesothelioma is an Asbestos related cancer which forms at the lining of the lung or the abdominal cavity. Most of us at some point in our life have been exposed to Asbestos, however most do not need to be worried about this exposure. In general, only the people who have worked in jobs where they were exposed to Asbestos for a long period of time at a substantial amount. Symptoms of Mesothelioma are usually not seen until decades later.
While Asbestos has commercially been in use for over 200 years, its use increased largely during the World War II. The main consumers of Asbestos containing products were the automotive, manufacturing, construction industries.
For more than five decades Asbestos containing materials were unregulated until the late 70s when the use of Asbestos was banned from wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces due to release of the fiber during use. In the late 80s all new use of Asbestos was banned, however the previous established use of the fiber continued. The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), estimates more than of 70 thousands Mesothelioma cases in men for the next 50 years.
The typical symptoms of Mesothelioma are shortness of breath, mild to severe pain, dry coughs etc. The diagnosis of Mesothelioma is usually done through a special chest x-ray technique used to detect smaller effusions. In most cases the tests are found to be negative or inconclusive even at the presence of the cancer. Ultimately a needle biopsy of the lining of the lung confirms diagnosis of Mesothelioma.
