Sabtu, 08 Februari 2020
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer that takes a large section of the
mesothelial cells in the mesothelium, which are the fibers that surround the
body. It is one of the deadliest cancers because of the large number of
mesothelioma deaths in the United States each year. If a person has been
diagnosed with mesothelioma, there are four stages.
The initial stage of mesothelioma is not necessarily fatal. It is the stage
where patients can still make some physical and emotional adjustments to help
them cope with their condition. In addition, there are no symptoms present.
Most doctors believe that this is the point where the cancer cells will stop
growing due to the lack of enough oxygen needed to continue growing.
However, the earlier a person has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the
higher the risk of it becoming malignant in the early stage. During the later
stages of mesothelioma, the level of damage to the body parts increases. At
this point, there is a greater chance of the cancer cells to spread.
The four stages of mesothelioma are: Intrinsic, Invasive, Intermediate, and
Prognostic. The Intrinsic stage is when a cancerous tumor is first noticed by a
doctor. During this stage, doctors may be able to remove a small portion of the
lung, chest, or lymph nodes to check the growth of the tumor cells.
The Invasive stage is usually considered the final stage of mesothelioma.
The tumor is large enough to be painful but not large enough to cause a major
problem for the patient.
The Intermediate stage is reached after one or more of the disease symptoms
develop. A tumor can be detected, but doctors will need to treat it in order to
fully determine if a patient has cancer.
Finally, the Prognostic stage is the point at which the prognosis is evaluated
by the doctor. Doctors will use the symptoms to determine whether the person
has any more risk factors associated with the disease or not.
To give an example, if a person develops symptoms of mesothelioma during
the Intrinsic stage, the stages will look at whether a person has had any
recent exposure to asbestos or other asbestos related substances. In addition,
it will look at whether the person has had surgery on the chest, abdomen, or
neck. If so, it will also check the location of the cancer.
It is very important to note that the stages of mesothelioma do not
correspond to a person's age. For example, a man who has been diagnosed with
mesothelioma during the Intrinsic stage is not considered a young adult.
In addition, doctors will be more lenient on a person during the Prognostic
stage. The progression of the disease may slow or stop during this stage due to
the amount of damage to the body that is present.
For example, if a patient has a physical disability during the Intrinsic
stage, doctors may be more lenient with the person during the Prognostic stage.
This is to ensure that the person has the best chance of living a long and full
life without fear of being diagnosed with cancer in the future.
As you can see, there are four stages of mesothelioma. As you can see, the
risks of developing mesothelioma are high during the Intrinsic, Invasive,
Intermediate, and Prognostic stages.