Causes and risk factors of mesothelioma

Causes and risk factors of mesothelioma

In the case of mesothelioma, causes and risk factors are closely intertwined. Indeed, asbestos is recognized as the major cause of mesothelioma. And therefore, occupational exposure to asbestos is a risk factor; indeed, even minor exposures have been reported as triggers for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma manifests itself 15 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos, which explains why its incidence increases from the age of 50.

In addition, in Europe, asbestos has been banned since 1997, the number of cases should peak around 2020.

Other potential causes are:

erionite (natural mineral substance);
ionizing radiation (during radiotherapy);
the mutation of the BAP 1 gene.
Good to know: while smoking increases the risk of lung damage, it does not affect the risk of developing mesothelioma. On the other hand, it multiplies the risks in the event of exposure to asbestos.


Mesothelioma: diagnosis and symptoms

The signs of the disease are often spotted late because they are not very suggestive.

We can cite, for pleural mesothelioma:

chest pain;
neuralgia in the arm;
pain in the back or shoulder blade;
a persistent cough;
more suggestive, however, is the pleural effusion accompanied by shortness of breath.
For peritoneal mesothelioma:

abdominal pain ;
abdominal swelling;
nausea;
vomiting;
intestinal obstruction ;
weight loss due to constant severe undernutrition due to inability to eat (due to intestinal obstruction).
Unfortunately, these symptoms can come from other pathologies, the diagnosis is often made late. In 95% of cases, pleural effusion occurs, prompting consultation with a doctor.

During the diagnostic process, many examinations can be done, aiming at different conclusions:

chest x-rays to confirm pleural effusion;
computer assisted tomography (CT);
MRI, to assess the size of a tumor;
positron emission tomography (PET): the gold standard for determining the site of mesothelioma and its stage;
fluid analysis;
tissue analysis;
ultrasound.
Determining the stage of mesothelioma is also important in assessing the future effectiveness of treatment. This stage is part of a classification: the international TGM Classification system for diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma. For other mesotheliomas, general TGM is used for cancer.

Good to know: it's hard to tell the difference between pleural mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Treatment of mesothelioma

Each patient is a unique case and as such, many treatments are possible, including by combining several techniques. The treatment of mesothelioma is very difficult.

The different options are as follows:

surgery ;
chemotherapy;
radiotherapy;
integrate ongoing clinical trials aimed at developing new drugs.
There are two surgical approaches for pleural mesothelioma: pleurectomy / decortication and extrapleural pleuropneumonectomy. These are two very specialized surgeries that cannot be performed in all hospitals.

The prognosis and survival associated with mesothelioma depend on many factors: medical history, age, type and stage of mesothelioma, treatment chosen and response to treatment. However, mesothelioma has rather gloomy statistics in terms of prognosis and survival.

A rare but virulent cancer, mesothelioma develops in the membranes surrounding internal organs. It mainly affects the pleura (around 80% of cases) and is due in around 85% of cases to exposure to asbestos. As a result, it is a cancer whose professional link has been established

Good to know: diseases generated by occupational exposure to asbestos are listed in the tables of occupational diseases of the health insurance scheme for employees and farmers. Beyond that, since 2002, any victim of the effects of asbestos can obtain compensation from the Asbestos Victims Compensation Fund (Fiva).

Complex diagnosis and treatment, there remains a cancer whose prognosis and survival at 1 year and 5 years are particularly bleak.