Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor of the mesothelium that grows diffusely and occurs in the pleura, pericardium, peritoneum and man on the tunica vaginalis testis. Mesotheliomas are always vicious and very aggressive.
The cause of almost all mesotheliomas is a strong exposure to asbestos, with a long latency period of 20-50 years until the onset of symptoms. Therefore, risk groups are mainly artisans such as painters, construction workers or installers over 50 years dar.
Mesotheliomas can also develop in very rare cases idiopathic. Depending on the location of the mesothelioma, patients suffer from various symptoms. In the most common form, pleural mesothelioma, sufferers complain of dyspnea, chest pain and persistent cough. These symptoms are usually triggered by pleural effusions and are the most common reason why sufferers visit a doctor.
Other forms of mesothelioma tend to result in nonspecific symptoms such as fever, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, anemia, ascites, abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea. Since the symptoms usually occur only when the tumor is already advanced, the prognosis is poor.
For example, in pleural mesothelioma, the median survival time after diagnosis is one year, and the relative five-year survival for all types of mesothelioma is between 5 and 10%. A cure is usually not possible.