(keyword density 4% for epithelial mesothelioma)

Almost every case of epithelial mesothelioma is caused by exposure asbestos. Typically, it takes less than two months of exposure to accumulate enough fibers to cause epithelial mesothelioma to develop. From there, it can take anywhere from 15 to 40 years before tumors become noticeable. By the time epithelial mesothelioma is diagnosed, the patient usually has less than 1 year to live. Chemotherapy and most other cancer treatments will not cure epithelial mesothelioma. This problem is compounded by the fact that epithelial mesothelioma is often not detected in the early stages.

Your body has millions of different kinds of cell types. In most cases, cancers are named based on the kind of cell that multiplies too much, and then spreads to other parts of the body. For example, epithelial mesothelioma refers to malignant cells that arise from membrane cells, or those that line the inside and outside of certain organs. In most cases, epithelial mesothelioma will occur in cells that line the lungs, chest, heart, and abdomen.

There are three main types of epithelial mesothelioma, pleural (around the lungs), peritoneal (abdominal), and pericardial (around the heart). Pleural mesothelioma is often caused by inhaling asbestos particles. It accounts for approximately 60% of all epithelial mesothelioma patients. In the majority of those cases, the right lung is affected more than the left lung. Peritoneal mesothelioma (a form of epithelial mesothelioma caused by swallowing asbestos) is seen in approximately 25% of all cases. Pericardial mesothelioma is rarest form of epithelial mesothelioma.

Even though epithelial mesothelioma has no racial preference, 75% of the cases are found in men. There are almost 3,000 new cases of epithelial mesothelioma diagnosed each year. Most occur in individuals that worked in occupations where asbestos exposure is prevalent. This includes paper milling, cement plants, ceramics, and jobs that involve automobile brake linings. Since tiger eye stones also contain asbestos, exposure to this stone may also cause epithelial mesothelioma. Interestingly enough, exposure to zeolite and the simian virus 40 may act as co-factors in the development of epithelial mesothelioma.

At some point, we should see a reduction in the number of new epithelial mesothelioma cases arising from work related asbestos exposure. On the other hand, there are other sources of asbestos exposure that may still cause a number of people to develop epithelial mesothelioma. While chemotherapy is not an effective form of treatment for epithelial mesothelioma, researchers are still looking for ways to cure this disease.