Mesothelioma is a fatal form of cancer that is typically caused by exposure to asbestos and can commonly go undiagnosed for decades.
Until now, older adults who have experienced asbestos exposure were linked to mesothelioma.
However, now researchers are finding that children too are at risk for developing the illness.
More Mesothelioma Research Needed
Although doctors are unaware if asbestos exposure is causing mesothelioma in kids, if it’s possibly hereditary, or if something else is contributing to the illness in youth, research is ongoing on the topic.
“The latent period of asbestos exposure in mesothelioma patients can be many years,” says Cesar A. Moran, the professor of Pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. “Children have not lived long enough to be in that ballpark.”
Study on Mesothelioma in Children Published
Dr. Moran and some colleagues recently published a study in which they analyzed eight cases of children suffering from mesothelioma.
The researchers found that all the children have peritoneal mesothelioma, which is a cancer in the abdominal cavity lining.
On the contrary, most adults suffer from pleural mesothelioma, which is located in the lining of the lung.
Challenge to Diagnose Mesothelioma in Children
Since mesothelioma in children is so abnormal, doctors have had difficulty making a diagnosis.
Children with mesothelioma often complain of pain, bloating and fluid build-up in their abdomen.
(Source: Surviving Mesothelioma)
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