Aug
6
Pleural mesothelioma stages
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Pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the outer pleural lining of the lungs and is associated with exposure to asbestos earlier in life, may be as early as 10 years before. This exposure could come roof materials, cigarette filters, pipes, boilers, marble and pottery, hair dryers, brakes, basement and from mining asbestos.
Asbestos particles can affect more than just those that mine or work with asbestos or related materials containing asbestos. It also can come home with them as asbestos particles can get attached to shoes and clothes easily, and be inhaled by family members and even people doing a business close to a asbestos mine or factory.
The two main staging systems used for pleural mesothelioma staging are the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) system and the Brigham system. In the UK, IMIG system is most commonly used system. Specialists generally don’t use the Brigham system any more, but still there are some doctors who like to refer to it. Pleural mesothelioma is divided in four distinct stages.
Stage I is the initial stage when the cancer is beginning to affect the outer layers (mesothelial membrane surface) of the lung (pleura) or one side and may be on the diaphragm. This only applies when the mesothelioma is on one side of the diaphragm.
Stage II is when the mesothelioma is in both the inner and outer pleural layers of the lung and a tumor has started to increase in size. In this stage esophagus can also get involved.
Stage III refers to the stage when the mesothelioma has spread to the chest wall or possibly the pericardium (Peridacardial mesothelioma) or the sac that covers the heart and its main arteries and blood vessels. In this stage the nearby lymph nodes are also involved as well.
Stage IV: It is when the tumor has grown that much that it has to be removed with traditional surgical methods. In this stage mesothelioma has spread through bloodstream and lymphatic channels to different parts of the body. It could have spread to other organs, lymph nodes on both sides of the diaphragm, or above the neckline, lymph nodes that are also known as cervical lymph nodes. This stage is also highly metastatic as lymph nodes involvement is maximum at this stage. Abdominal spread of mesothelioma is also too much at this stage.
Aug
6
Usefulness of Staging
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Staging helps doctors to decide which treatment will benefit at which stage of the cancer. However, certain other important things are also kept in considersation while determining the particular treatment for the particular stage of the mesothelioma these are: the ability to do everyday tasks, age of the patients, and overall health status of the patient if the patient can bear the stressful conditions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The type of cells from which the mesothelioma has arised is an important factor deciding the treatment.
- Epithelioid cells response to treatment is the best. According the American Cancer Society, 50 to 70 percent of mesothelioma,s are of epithelioid in nature.
- Up to 20 percent of mesotheliomas are composed almost completely from the sarcomatoid cells. Sarcomatoid cells are quite aggressive cancers in nature and therefore are difficult to treat.
- The remainder of mesotheliomas are biphasic, and these are characterized by mixed elements, containing a mixture of both epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells.