What Are The Four Stages of Mesothelioma Cancer?

by: David Arnold Livingston

One rare form of cancer is called Mesothelioma, a  malignant tumor in the mesothelial tissues of the lungs  and the abdomen, arising from the inhalation of asbestos.  Its rarity is one of the reasons why a lot of people are  not aware of this kind of fatal disease. In fact, many  people die of Mesothelioma undiagnosed. Although there is  now a growing awareness of the hazards of asbestos to  health, still many have not heard of Mesothelioma and  thus, have not understood its nature, cause, signs and  treatment. Even some physicians find it hard to detect  Mesothelioma because its symptoms are akin to other  diseases like lung cancer and pneumonia. Furthermore, it  takes decades for a patient who was exposed to asbestos to  develop Mesothelioma — fifty years, at most.  Being unaware of Mesothelioma poses higher risks since it  deters diagnosis and treatment. A person undergoing  treatment must know the different stages of the cancer or  the extent of the disease. Chances of recovering from  Mesothelioma and the kind of treatment depend on the stage  of the illness. There are basically two staging systems  used for Pleural Mesothelioma (lungs): TNM system and  Brighan system. These staging systems are also used in  other kinds of cancers; however, the first is commonly  used. There is no established method in determining the  stage of the Peritoneal Mesothelioma cancer (abdominal) so  the TNM system is used.  There are three variables in the TNM system: tumor, lymph  nodes and metastasis. In the earliest stage of  Mesothelioma, stage I, the malignant Mesothelioma cells  start to grow and multiply only one layer of the pleura.  The pleura is the membrane that encloses the lungs and  lines the wall of the chest cavity. However, there are  some instances wherein the pericardium (membrane that  covers the heart) and diaphragm cover are already  affected. In this case, the cancer patient is still in  stage I Mesothelioma.  In the second stage, the two layers of the pleura are  already affected by Mesothelioma. Take note, however, that  in this stage, only one side of the body is affected.  Normally, the pleura produces only small amount of  lubricating fluid that allows easy expanding and  contracting of the lungs. The excess fluid is absorbed by  the blood and the lymph vessels so there’s a balance  between the amount of fluid produced and removed. During  the second stage Mesothelioma, fluid starts to build up  between the membrane of the lungs and the membrane of the  chest wall, resulting to pleural effusion. The increase in  the volume of fluid produced causes shortness of breath  and chest pain. Other Mesothelioma cancer patients  experience dry and persistent cough. Diagnosis of the  pleural effusion is achieved through a chest x-ray.  Stage III Mesothelioma means that the malignant cells have  already spread to the chest wall, esophagus and the lymph  nodes on one part of the chest. The patient may suffer  severe pain near the parts affected. When not treated  immediately or when the Mesothelioma patient doesn’t  respond well to medication, the cancer may advance to the  fourth stage. The fourth stage Mesothelioma is formidable  since at this stage the Mesothelioma cells have penetrated  into the bloodstream and other organs in the body like the  liver, the bones and the brain. The lymph nodes on the  other side of the chest may also be affected by  Mesothelioma in stage IV.  Brighan staging system, on the other hand, determines  whether the Mesothelioma can be surgically removed or not  and whether the lymph nodes are affected or not. In stage  I Mesothelioma, the lymph nodes are not yet affected and  the patient can still recover through surgery. In stage  II, surgery can still be executed but some lymph nodes  have already been infiltrated by the cancer cells. In  stage III, the heart and chest wall are already affected;  thus, surgery is no longer advisable. The lymph nodes in  this stage, however, may or may not be affected. In the  final stage, stage IV Mesothelioma, cancer cells have  already gone to the bloodstream and other parts of the  body like the heart, brain, bone and liver. In most cases,  a patient who has reached stage IV Mesothelioma only has  four to twenty-four months to live.  About the author: David Arnold Livingston is an advocate for Health  and recommends, as a resource:Mesothelioma Asbestos Cancer