Mesotelioma
Mesotelioma is a misspelled variation of the word "mesothelioma." The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. No one knows why some individuals who worked with asbestos develop the disease, often referred to as mesothelioma cancer, while others do not.
Some mesothelioma doctors have hypothesized that prolonged exposure to asbestos for long lengths of time causes the disease but recently, especially after Sept. 11, researchers have discovered that large amounts of asbestos exposure for a short period of time may also prompt the disease to develop.
Often, a mesothelioma diagnosis is seen in older individuals because it has a long latency period of up to 50 years. Lately, however, diagnoses have appeared in younger people who were exposed during childhood or those who encountered large amounts of toxic asbestos as first responders or clean-up personnel after the World Trade Center disasters.
The three main mesothelioma types are: pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. A mesothelioma prognosis is rarely favorable though treatment to ease symptoms is available.
Other common misspellings:
- Mezothelioma
- Measothelioma
- Mesolioma
- Mesothaleoma
- Mesothalioma
- Mesotheleomaa
- Mesothmioma
- Mesithilioma
- Mesothiaoma
- Mesothlioma
Source
National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov
