Mesothelioma: A Rare Form Of Cancer

Merlin Olsen, aged 69, was pronounced dead yesterday at the City of Hope Hospital in Duarte, Los Angeles, after a brief struggle with Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that grows from mesothelium, a protective sheet that spreads over body’s inner organs.

It is one of the few infections that develop due to continuous exposure to asbestos. The breathing in of asbestos fibers can cause malignant Mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Asbestos is a group of 6 naturally found silicate minerals which are desired due to their special physical properties. All the asbestos minerals are usually long and thin and are found in the shape of fiber crystals.

Mesothelioma commonly forms on the pleura, which is inside the chest on the outer side of the lungs. It also occurs around the Peritoneum (abdominal cavity), Pericardium (the region around the heart) and directly on the heart.

People who inhale the asbestos particles

or work where they are directly exposed to asbestos have a high risk of developing cancer or Mesothelioma. Reports suggest that persons coming into contact with even the clothes of an asbestos-exposed person can suffer from the same fate as the directly exposed person.

Some of the symptoms of Mesothelioma are shortness of breath, weight loss and flow of fluid outside the lungs. CT-scan and X-ray are used to detect the presence of Mesothelioma while for further confirmation is done through a process called thorascopy.

Olsen was diagnosed with Mesothelioma back in 2009 and earlier this year he had filed a lawsuit against NBC and 20th Century Fox blaming them for exposing him to asbestos.

The European Union has banned all types of digging, extraction and commercial use of asbestos due to its dangerous consequences for human body.