Mesothaloma
Mesothaloma is a misspelling of the word "mesothelioma." When asbestos was a popular insulating and fire-proofing material used by workers in industry and in the military, asbestos fibers were frequently allowed to become airborne. This then caused those working with or around it to potentially inhale it into their lungs. Before it was known that this very action (i.e. inhaling airborne asbestos) could cause malignant mesothelioma, protective gear was not worn to prevent illness from occurring.
Many blue collar workers who worked at industrial sites like chemical plants and power plants as well as military personnel assigned to Navy ships or shipyards were at high risk for asbestos exposure. Unfortunately one of the unique characteristics of mesothelioma cancer is that it has a long latency period meaning that it can often take decades to develop after asbestos exposure has occurred. Also, because many of the symptoms can appear non life threatening at first (because they are similar to those of an upper respiratory infection) the illness often goes undetected until advanced stages have been reached. When mesothelioma is diagnosed in the later stages it becomes more difficult to treat successfully. To date a cure for mesothelioma has still not been identified. CT scans and MRI’s are common tools used to detect mesothelioma in addition to fluid and tissue sample testing.
Other common misspellings:
- Mesotelioma
- Mesothelanoma
- Mesotheliomia
- Mesotheliopma
- Mesothelomia
- Mesotheoloma
- Mesothilioma
- Mesotholoma
- Mezothelioma
- Measothelioma
National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov
