Symptoms of Mesothelioma of the Heart

Symptoms of Mesothelioma of the Heart.

Of the 3,000 cases of mesothelioma each year, the rarest is mesothelioma of the heart called pericardial mesothelioma. The causes of pericardial mesothelioma is still not fully understood by scientists and doctors. Many scientists believe that asbestos is inhaled and ultimately makes its way to the blood stream however this is still very much a theory.

What is known is that asbestos fibers get stuck in the pericardial membranes of the heart. Over time, the accumalation of these asbestos fibers cause changes in the cells of the pericardium often resulting in cancer. Once these cells become cancerous, the divide and multiply rapidly. As these mesothelioma cells increase in quantity, the pericardial membranes thicken resulting in tumors. This build up puts pressure on the heart.

Since pericardial mesothelioma is so rare, it has been difficult for doctors to create a list of recognizable symptoms. The problem is that symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma resemble symptoms of other heart diseases. If any of the following symptoms are occuring, it is advised that one should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Only a number of specific tests can determine whether mesothelioma of the heart is apparent.

Symptoms of mesothelioma (pericardial mesothelioma) of the heart include:
Heart palpitations
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing (event at rest)
Fever
Night sweats
Fatigue

Mesothelioma Basics

Mesothelioma Basics

Mesothelioma is rare type of cancer that is caused by the exposure of asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been and is still used in various building and construction applications due to its fire-resistant and insulating properties. Asbestos exposure is often caused by inhalation or digestion of microscopic fibers. When the microscopic asbestos brought into the body (most typically through inhalation), the particles attach themselves to the mesothelial lining of the lungs and can also attach themselves to the lining of the heart and abdomen. Many construction workers, shipyard workers, Naval vessel crew, asbestos manufacturing plant workers, power plant workers and chemical plant workers (to name just a few) are typically the ones who develop Mesothelioma due to their exposure to the toxic asbestos.

People can develop Mesothelioma at any age, however, many do not see aparent symptoms until their 70's and 80's. Common therapies for Mesothelioma include radiation therapy, surgery, anticancer drugs, and chemotherapy. Though the effects of asbestos exposure are quite apparent, the United States has yet to ban the manufacture of cancer causing agent.

Causes of Mesothelioma Cancer

Causes of Mesothelioma Cancer

An overwhelming body of scientific and medical evidence has proven that the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. The exact method by which asbestos causes mesothelioma is still being researched, but medical professionals have a number of theories:

Asbestos causes irritation and inflammation of mesothelial cells, which results in irreversible scarring, cellular damage, and eventually cancer.Asbestos fibers enter cells and disrupt the function of cellular structures that are essential for normal cell division, causing cellular changes that lead to cancer.
Asbestos causes the production of free radicals. These molecules damage DNA, and cause cells to mutate and become cancerous.

The presence of asbestos causes cells to produce oncoproteins. These molecules cause mesothelial cells to ignore normal cellular division restraints, and s can lead to the development of cancer.

The element that ties each theory together is the fact that asbestos results in cellular damage. This causes cells to lose control over normal cell cycles and results in uncontrollable division. Healthy cells follow cycles of cell division that ensure tissues do not grow and duplicate beyond normal conditions - in cancerous cells, these restraints are lost.

In cases of mesothelioma, the result of the cellular damage is that membranes in the affected location begin to thicken, and fluid builds up in the spaces between membrane layers. As cancer cells continue to divide and pile on top of one another, tumors begin to form. The uncontrolled division of cancer cells results in the impaired function of the body's organs and systems (primarily due to factors such as internal pressure caused by the growth of tumors, and the reduction of essential nutrients for organs), resulting in a number of symptoms.

Malignant Mesothelioma Cell Types

Malignant Mesothelioma Cell Types

A malignant mesothelioma tumor may be made up of three different cell types:
Epithelial Cells – Epithelial cells appear the most frequently in malignant mesothelioma tumors, and this subtype accounts for about 50 percent of cases. These cells, which are uniform and sharply defined, feature prominent nuclei and often form complex branching patterns.
Sarcomatoid Cells – These spindle-shaped cells typically lack strong characteristics, occurring in approximately 30 percent of reported malignant mesothelioma cases.
Biphasic Cells – A malignant mesothelioma tumor is considered biphasic when both epithelial and sarcomatoid cells are present and each type accounts for at least 10 percent of the mass. Biphasic (mixed) cells are present in around 20 percent of all malignant mesothelioma reports.

Histological classifications are commonly used in developing a prognosis and treatment plan for malignant mesothelioma patients. Although the life span associated with malignant mesothelioma can be short, the subtype can account for differences in life expectancy ranging up to 200 days.

Of the subtypes, mesotheliomas involving epithelial cells are typically most responsive to treatment, resulting in a better prognosis. Sarcomatoid cells are the most stubborn when treated, and some surgeons do not consider sarcomatoid tumors as eligible for resection. Biphasic cells are also considered less responsive to treatment than epithelial.

Diagnosing what type of malignant mesothelioma a patient has can be challenging. One contributing factor is that it can be difficult to differentiate mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma, a cancer originating in glandular tissue, on small tissue specimens.

Benign vs. Malignant Mesothelioma

Benign vs. Malignant Mesothelioma

As with most forms of cancer, mesothelioma may be classified as either malignant or benign. Benign tumors are completely surgically resectable because they are non-cancerous and unable to spread. On the other hand, malignant mesothelioma is cancerous, highly aggressive and hard to treat. While asbestos has been definitively linked to malignant mesothelioma, benign mesothelioma often results from other disorders such as infectious pleuritis, hepatic cirrhosis or systemic lupus erythematosus.

Because a patient may present both benign and malignant mesothelioma tumors simultaneously, a doctor must be able to differentiate between the two before beginning treatment. One of the most important criteria for determining if a tumor is malignant or benign is the presence of stromal invasion. Since benign tumors do not metastasize, if the tumor has spread to local glands, cells and connective tissue, the tumor is considered to be malignant.

A doctor can consider the probability of malignancy based on how deep in the pleura the cellular proliferation appears. Benign cells typically conglomerate at a relatively shallow depth, while malignant cells can appear as far as the fat or muscle areas of the chest wall or inside of the lung parenchyma.

Total cell enlargement – as opposed to just the enlargement of the cell’s nucleus – is another indicator of malignancy. Large aggregations of cells that feature nuclear irregularity and hyperchromasia (an elevated level of the DNA protein chromatin) almost always imply a malignant diagnosis. Reactive (benign) lesions involve linear cells that typically lack papillae, a dome-shaped structure on the cell surface.

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, or the lining surrounding several of the body’s internal organs. Asbestos exposure is almost exclusively responsible for the development of mesothelioma.

The prevalence of lung cancer in those exposed to asbestos had been noted since the 1920s, and the first case report dealing with malignant mesothelioma, derived from records at Massachusetts General Hospital, was published in 1947. It was not until 1998, however, that mortality recording agencies began tracking malignant mesothelioma as a separate cause of death.

Malignant mesothelioma can affect four parts of the body. The lungs are most frequently affected, which is classified as pleural mesothelioma. The second most common location for the tumors to originate is the abdomen, which is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. Another variation of the disease, pericardial mesothelioma, develops in the sac that surrounds the heart. The rarest location for mesothelioma to be found is in the lining of the testicles, known as the tunica vaginalis, in a form of the cancer that is medically classified as testicular mesothelioma.

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?

Most people present with complaints of shortness of breath. They also can have complaints of chest pain. Surprisingly, this pain is often not pleuritic; that is, it does not get worse with deep breathing. This is surprising in that the pleura (outer surface of the lung) is often involved in this disease, and most other diseases involving the pleura are often associated with pleuritic pain (pain that worsens with deep breathing). Patients may also be asymptomatic, with the disease discovered by physical exam or an abnormal chest X-ray.

As the disease progresses, shortness of breath increases, and weight loss, decreased appetite, and night sweats can develop. Local invasion by the tumor can result in changing of voice, loss of function of the diaphragm, and symptoms specific to the area and involvement of adjacent structures.

What is mesothelioma?

What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer (malignancy) that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form, often presenting with symptoms in the chest area. Peritoneal mesothelioma is much less common. This can effect the organs in the abdomen, and its symptoms are related to this area of the body, that is, abdominal swelling, nausea, vomiting, and bowel obstruction. The rarest form of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma, which involves the sac surrounding the heart.

There are two major cell types of mesothelioma, epithelial and sarcomatoid. Sometimes both of these cell types can be present. The sarcomatoid type is rarer and occurs in only about 15% of cases; it portends a poorer prognosis. In very rare cases, mesothelioma can originate from benign, non-malignant cells. This so-called benign mesothelioma can be cured surgically.

Etiology of Malignant Mesothelioma

Etiology of Malignant Mesothelioma

Most cases of malignant mesothelioma are associated with a previous exposure to fibrous minerals, of which asbestos is the most important. There is now indisputable evidence of the role of these fibers in the development of this disease. This has been demonstrated in animal experiments and many other experiments. Not everyone who is exposed to asbestos fibers has developed malignant mesothelioma, suggesting that other factors may also be involved.

Although malignant mesothelioma is rare, it is a serious, deadly disease. It is often in the advanced stages when it is detected, so the mesothelioma prognosis for patients is not as good as it is for patients with cancers that are detected earlier. The average survival time after detection is 1 to 2 years. This survival time also depends on the type of mesothelioma.

Introduction to Mesotheliomas

Introduction to Mesotheliomas.

All mesotheliomas are now considered to be malignant, or cancerous. They start as a localized tumor and spread rapidly to include most of the surrounding tissues and organs. Originally, fibrous cysts and other non-cancerous growths that appeared in the serous membranes were thought to be mesotheliomas and were termed "benign fibrous mesothelioma" and "multicystic mesothelioma." These conditions are now known not to originate in the mesothelial cells, but other cells within the serous membranes. These conditions are typically localized, non-cancerous and do not spread rapidly.