Tech4Cancer – Some people may be curious about what is mesothelioma lung cancer. Is it the same as lung cancer? People who deal with this cancer will also find more about the cause, how to treat it, life expectancy, and many more. The information below can reduce your curiosity about mesothelioma lung cancer.
What Is Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?
Mesothelioma lung cancer is one of the rare cancers. The main cause of this cancer is the sufferer inhaling asbestos fibers excessively. Cancer attacks the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. The sufferers often have breathing difficulty and suffer from chest pain.
Is Mesothelioma Lung Cancer the Same as Lung Cancer?
It is the second most popular question from people who know or suffer from mesothelioma lung cancer for the first time. The truth is that mesothelioma lung cancer is different from lung cancer. Check out the differences between mesothelioma lung cancer vs lung cancer below.
The Location the Cancers Attack
Both of the cancers attack different areas, although they are similar. Mesothelioma lung cancer often occurs in the lining of the lung. In some cases, this cancer can also attack the abdomen, heart, or testes. On the other hand, lung cancer occurs in the lung itself.
The Way They Grow
The way these two cancers grow is also different. When the doctor diagnoses tiny tumor nodules, it can be the beginning of mesothelioma lung cancer. This tumor will scatter the lining or mesothelial lining of the lung.
The worst part is that the nodules grow together around the organ. This cancer often grows locally. It means that cancer occurs and grows in one organ.
Unlike mesothelioma lung cancer, lung cancer grows in individual masses. The dangerous part is when this cancer metastasizes early or spreads to other organs. It is the reason why lung cancer is deadlier than mesothelioma cancer.
The Cause of the Cancer
Mesothelioma lung cancer is caused by excessive exposure to asbestos. It is often suffered by people who work close to products or areas that contain asbestos. Then, they inhale this material every day.
On the other hand, lung cancer is often caused by tobacco, cigarette smoke, radon gas, and second-hand smoke. The problem is that some lung cancer patients are also smokers with a history of asbestos exposure. So, smoking in areas that contain asbestos can higher the risk of mesothelioma lung cancer.
What are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?
Nowadays, you don’t need to ask any more about is mesothelioma lung cancer the same as lung cancer because you got the answer above. The symptoms of mesothelioma lung cancer are another crucial thing you should know.
Despite the differentiates between mesothelioma lung cancer and lung cancer, both of them have similar symptoms. Be careful if you often feel pain in your chest and it gets worse day by day. It can be the early symptom of mesothelioma lung cancer or lung cancer.
This symptom is often followed by coughing and difficulty breathing. You will also feel fatigued and lose weight drastically without any specific reason. So, go to the hospital to get a medical check-up if you are suffering from the symptoms above. Ensure what is going on with your body.
How To Diagnose Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?
A doctor will diagnose your condition based on the symptoms. The first thing that the doctor often does is perform a biopsy. They will do it using a bronchoscopy, needle biopsy, or thoracoscopic surgery. A CT scan or PET scan seems not enough to detect the type of cancer.
Let’s say the doctor decides to use bronchoscopy to diagnose your condition. In this case, they will insert a small camera down the throat to the airways of the lung. The function of the camera is to detect if there are abnormalities around the area. The doctor will take a cell sample if they find a tumor. It ensures whether it is cancer or not. The doctor also takes the fluid in the chest cavity.
How Do Doctors Treat Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?
The treatment depends on how wide the cancer has spread and the stage of cancer. You may have to take surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. A surgery procedure is the earlier treatment.
The doctor takes this decision if the cancer is still localized in the lung area. The surgery procedure will remove all the tumor growth. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are necessary to kill the potential tumor cells.
How Long a Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Survivor Can Live?
Patients who can pass all medical treatments can live up to one year or even more. The life expectancy of the survivors depends on their ages, overall health, and stage of cancer. The earlier you find cancer, the bigger the opportunity to survive.
Based on the report, mesothelioma lung cancer survivors can live longer by doing a healthy lifestyle consistently. They start to eat healthy food, do exercise regularly, and take medical check-ups regularly.
What Are the Stages of Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?
There are 4 stages of mesothelioma lung cancer. In the first stage, the cancer is still localized. The doctor suggests you take a surgery procedure. The survival rate is higher. You are suffering from mesothelioma lung cancer stage 2 if the tumor has spread from the first location into other organs.
The doctor also takes a surgery procedure to handle this issue. This cancer can improve to stage 3 if cancer has spread into regional lymph nodes. Stage 4 is the most dangerous. It is because the tumor has spread into distant organs. The doctor suggests you take chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The treatments help to ease symptoms and kill cancer.
What are the Types of Mesothelioma Cells?
Mesothelioma lung cancer consists of three cells. The first cell is known as epithelioid. This cell is still easy to treat and considered the most responsive cell to treatment. Due to the characteristics of the cells, your life expectancy is higher.
Be careful if the doctor detects Sarcomatoid cells in cancer. These cells are hard to treat. Because of that, it shortens life expectancies. These cells were found in 10 percent of the mesothelioma lung cancer cases.
The most dangerous case is when the doctor found Biphasic cells on your mesothelioma cancer. These cells are the strongest because they are the combination of epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells. Some treatments even don’t work well to kill these cells. The worst part is that it occurs in 30 to 40 percent of mesothelioma lung cancer cases.
What You Can Do After Diagnosed with Mesothelioma Lung Cancer?
Remain calm if you are diagnosed with mesothelioma lung cancer. Focus on the next thing to do to treat cancer. One of the steps you can do is to seek compensation for mesothelioma. Find out the way to process this compensation.
You will get it from asbestos trust funds, lawsuits, or VA claims. It seems impossible to manage everything by yourself. Because of that, you should speak with a mesothelioma lawyer. The attorney will help you deal with the legal options and anything you should do to get compensation. The compensation is so meaningful, especially to cover your medical treatment and the needs of your beloved family during the treatment. This information is also to answer people who ask about is mesothelioma lung cancer sufferer receives compensation from the company they work for or not.
