Mesothelioma and Asbestos Blog

Being diagnosed with mesothelioma is traumatic enough, but all too often, a patient’s feelings of insecurity and confusion after diagnosis are only exacerbated by unfamiliar medical jargon and terminology. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the following glossary can help you have a better understanding of common cancer-related terms:

Adjuvant therapy refers to various forms of treatment such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy administered after primary treatment to drive the cancer into remission or increase the chance it will be cured.

Biopsy involves the removal of tissues or cells to be examined under a microscope. This removal can be done by way of incision or needle. To diagnose mesothelioma, a pleural biopsy is necessary.

Biphasic is a term used to describe mixed mesothelioma, or a mesothelioma that has both sarcomatoid and epithelial elements.

Dyspnea is an early symptom of mesothelioma characterized by labored and painful breathing or shortness of breath and caused by fluid accumulation in the chest.

Empyema, or pus/infected fluid in the chest, is a complication that can occur after mesothelioma surgery.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy refers to a surgical procedure used to treat malignant mesothelioma by removing the diseased part of the lung.

Metastasis is a term to describe the spread of cancer.

Multimodality treatment involves the use of multiple methods of treatment as therapy.

Oncology is the study of cancer.

Palliative—a medicine used to alleviate the symptoms of, but not cure, a patient’s condition.

Prognosis refers to the outcome of the disease, i.e. its progression and the patient’s chance of recovery.

Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that usually originates in the legs and then migrates to the heart, resulting in artery blockage, shortness of breath, and in some cases death. It is sometimes a complication associated with mesothelioma surgery.

Once upon a time, the median age of those diagnosed with an asbestos-induced illness such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis was 70. Today that age has dropped to 51, but diagnoses of people in their late 20s and 30s are not unheard of.
 
And age is not the only change being seen in asbestos patient profiles. More and more women are now being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases and currently comprise, according to some estimates, as much as 50 percent of asbestos patients.

Although occupational exposure was once the predominant cause of asbestos-related diseases, environmental exposures are on the rise. In fact, some evidence suggests that environmental exposures may be the cause of a large portion of asbestos-induced illness in younger populations.

As patient profiles change, it becomes apparent that no one is immune to exposure and that prevention is key to saving lives. Sadly, some studies estimate that asbestos related diseases will claim approximately 30 lives a day in the U.S. over the next decade.

To learn more about these and other findings recently released by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, click here.