Many people in Louisiana have read about mesothelioma or heard television commercials mentioning this disease. You know that it is often linked to those who have had careers working with asbestos products, such as plumbers, electricians, shipyard workers, insulators or pipefitters. While you may have a general idea, you may be wondering to yourself, what is malignant mesothelioma?
According to the Mayo Clinic, malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that begins in the mesothelium, or thin layer of tissue that surrounds most of the internal organs in your body. There are different types of malignant mesotheliomas depending upon what part of your body is affected. Peritoneal mesothelioma is located in the tissue in your abdomen, whereas pleural mesothelioma occurs in the tissue surrounding your lungs. While these are the most common types of this disease, there are also the rarer forms of pericardial mesothelioma, which targets the tissue around the heart, and mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis, which involves tissue around the testicles.
Symptoms vary depending upon which type of cancer you have, although unexplained weight loss is a common symptom among the different varieties. For example, those suffering from pleural mesothelioma might have shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain and lumps in the vicinity of the chest. Peritoneal sufferers often experience symptoms in the abdominal region such as nausea accompanied by abdominal pain and swelling. While there is no cure, you should know that different treatments that may be available.
While this information should not be taken as legal advice, it is here to provide you with more information about this topic.