Cancer is not an easy word to hear, and especially not when sitting in a GP’s examination room or consultant’s office. Cancer is common enough that one in every two of us will develop it in our lifetimes – odds that demonstrate the unfortunate commonality with which we can expect to hear the word in our communities, families and homes. Nothing, though, prepares you for the day you hear it with respect to your own health.
There are many cancers to be concerned about, but one which is much less talked-about than others; a cancer with vocational and environmental links, and which can cause considerable concern with respect to symptoms and prognosis: mesothelioma.
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, concerning the mesothelium – an epithelial lining that surrounds and protects the lungs, stomach and other organs. It is a rare cancer, but one that can be triggered by specific environmental hazards. The most common of these hazards is asbestos, the carcinogenic mineral often used for insulative purposes in construction during the 19th and 20th century.
Asbestos is no longer used as a construction material, but remains a hazard where renovations of existing structures are concerned; for this reason, those that work in construction are disproportionately more likely to contract mesothelioma, particularly with long-term exposure to asbestos and other such airborne contaminants.
Understanding Your Diagnosis
Mesothelioma diagnoses are relatively rare, with respect to other cancers; around 2,700 people are diagnosed each year, a number which continues to fall as asbestos becomes a rarer occurrence. Unfortunately, the results post-diagnosis are not particularly positive; there are treatment pathways for mesothelioma, but none of these treatment pathways amount to a cure.
There are stages for the development of mesothelioma, but these are not commonly used in medical contexts. To understand where you are with your mesothelioma, further conversation with your GP or cancer specialist is recommended.
Exploring Treatment Options
The treatment options you will be offered depend on the specifics of your diagnosis. Mesothelioma can affect the lungs, stomach or heart, and the extent to which it affects any can depend on the extent to which it has spread or metastasised. The main treatment pathways available are surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, but all of these are mitigating measures to manage symptoms, improve quality of life, or simply extend survival.
Practical, Emotional and Long-Term Support
Mesothelioma, being a cancer commonly caused by asbestos exposure, can often be a cause of negligent workplace practices. With this in mind, there may be opportunities to subsidise care and costs of living with compensation from asbestos and workplace illness claims. Many people with mesothelioma are also potentially entitled to government benefits.
Support doesn’t end with money, though. Emotional support, counselling, peer support groups, and practical guidance are all essential to helping patients and their families, your own included.
