Now a days, almost everyone has heard of cancer. What people might not realize though, is that each cancer is a little different. Cancer isn’t a single disease as much as it’s a group of diseases with the similar characteristic of abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade other parts of the body. There are in fact over 100 different types of cancers, and mesothelioma is one of them.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer. As the name suggests, it developes in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a membrane lining that covers numerous organs. The mesothelium around the heart, genitals, and abdominal cavity can all develop mesothelioma, but the outer lining of the lungs is where most cases are found by far. Most of the people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma developed it as a result of living or working with or around asbestos. Since asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, in areas where there are large deposits of asbestos close to the surface, Mesothelioma is known to be diagnosed up to 300x more often than in areas without asbestos.
Most cancers affect older people disproportionately, and mesothelioma is no exception. Often, symptoms of this cancer do not appear until 20 – 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. In some individuals, symptoms of mesothelioma can take even longer. Victims of mesothelioma can expect to suffer from shortness of breath, coughing, abdominal pain, fluid accumulation, fatigue, and in severe cases, the lung may collapse.
Over the years, the prognosis for many types of cancer have gotten better and better. What may have been a death sentence fifty years ago can frequently be cured with chemo or surgery. Unfortunately, mesothelioma has only seen modest improvements. Even with the latest treatments and technology, cures are rare and prognoses disappointing.
At Amity Environmental, we don’t want to see any more Canadian families torn apart by asbestos. That’s why we always take the utmost care to protect you, your family, our team, and our families at home. Asbestos is dangerous. Exposure to asbestos can and does kill Canadians every year, often decades after they were first exposed. Protect your family; if you think there may be asbestos in your home, call Amity Environmental today for an inspection.
