Mesothelioma natural history
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Natural History
- Antibodies to cytokeratin proteins are positive, differentiating these neoplasms from many sarcomas but not adenocarcinomas.
- The absence of staining with CEA or Leu-M1 differentiates them from adenocarcinomas.
- Recent evidence shows that Wilms’ Tumor Antigen 1 may help differentiate mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma.
Complications
- Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
- Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
- Severe ascites
Prognosis
A mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor that is generally deadly. Current treatment of malignant mesothelioma is designed to make the person with cancer comfortable. Although long-term survival cannot usually be expected, the case of famed paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould is a noted exception.
Mesothelioma is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another. The exposure to the asbestos that caused the cancer occurred many years to several decades before the disease appeared. People who live with asbestos workers have a higher risk of getting this cancer.
Although mesothelioma is very unpleasant it's still important for person after treatment is over to keep up all follow-up appointments and that's vital because further testing is always needed to check whether cancer is coming back or to examine possible side effects that could be rather unpleasant and what's even worse permanent.