The nature of mesothelioma is not only one of extreme danger. It is also one which is problematic in diagnosis and in treatment. The diagnosis is difficult because so many of the symptoms are exactly the same as other kinds of respiratory infections. The treatment is difficult because to date there is still not treatment which will cure the disease. The only thing which can be done for those who are found to be ill from mesothelioma is to treat the symptoms and do what is necessary to make them more comfortable. It is also important to get the facts about the disease.
One of the most common kinds of mesothelioma involves the cell type which affects epithelial cells. The fact the disease affects these cells is the reason why it is called epithelial mesothelioma. While it is one of the most common kinds of mesothelioma, this does not bring any relief to those who are ill. There is still no way to treat the disease, but the more you know about the disease, the better prepared you will be for anything which lies in your future as a result of the disease.
Get to know the numbers
Overall, over 60% of those diagnosed with mesothelioma will be diagnosed with epithelial mesothelioma. The average incubation for the disease is about 20 years from the time of exposure for the victim. It is important to remember that while this is the average, some cases have been known to be found is as little as five years while others have gone as long as 75 years until they were found.
Getting diagnosed for mesothelioma
As mentioned above, getting diagnosed for mesothelioma is difficult because of the nature of the disease. Many have taken their disease all the way to the grave without ever having a proper diagnosis. What is originally thought to be a respiratory or circulatory disease may end up being epithelial mesothelioma or some other form of the disease. The diagnosis normally follows the use of a CAT scan to finds out why the disease is not responding to attempts to treat a respiratory infection. Diseased pleural tissue is something which will normally be found in the CAT scans which will lead to a diagnosis.
Get to know the variants
It is important to remember that while epithelial mesothelioma is a diagnosis, it also goes hand in hand with different kinds of variations. This includes such things as Papillary mesothelioma, Mucin Positive, Macrocystic, Pleomorphic and more. The different kinds of variants are determined by the size, shape and clustering of the cells. It is important to know what kind of cells are causing the mesothelioma you are suffering from because it will greatly affect the kind of treatment being used to maintain some form of comfort.
Research is being done every day to provide better understanding of the disease and the problems it causes for the patient. Every day is one closer scientists are getting to a cure.