Asbestos is a natural mineral that was once used in the construction and home improvement industries. It was put on ceilings when it was mixed with aertex, it was used to make surfaces semi flame resistant and it was also mixed with cement as it is very strong. At one point asbestos was seen as a revolution for these industries as it was just so versatile – it was also deadly. No one realised at the time that every time they were exposed to asbestos that they were taking their life in their hands and putting themselves in grave danger. Asbestos is now banned but its legacy lives on in the thousands of people who are feeling the after effects of being exposed to it over the years.

Exposure to asbestos is directly related to certain types of cancer, including peritoneal mesothelioma which is cancer of the membranes in the abdominal cavity. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second rarest form of mesothelioma and each year it is responsible for around 20% of the cases of diagnosed mesothelioma. As exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of peritoneal mesothelioma there are two main ways that doctors believe that it can actually reach the abdominal wall. One way is through the digestion of asbestos fibres which is actually easy than most might think. Once in the digestive system the asbestos fibres get stuck in the peritoneum and over time this can result in peritoneal mesothelioma. The second way that asbestos gets to the abdomen is through the lymph nodes and lungs when asbestos is inhaled. In some cases pleural mesothelioma will result in peritoneal mesothelioma ad the asbestos moves through the lungs and into the abdominal cavity if left untreated and undiagnosed for some months.

Suspicion of peritoneal mesothelioma is usually made when a patient exhibits signs such as pain in the abdomen, chest or stomach and many suspect hernias are actually created by a tumour caused by peritoneal mesothelioma. Often a misdiagnosis that does not include peritoneal mesothelioma can be made and this can have severe repercussions on the life expectancy of a patient. It is usual for someone who is thought to have peritoneal mesothelioma to have to undergo many tests to get a correct diagnosis and these tests are imaging scans and tissue biopsies.

Patients who are found to have peritoneal mesothelioma do not have a good prognosis. However if a diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma is made early enough they could have surgery to remove the disease and some cases it can extend a patient’s life span for a few more years. If surgery is not an option then chemotherapy or radiotherapy can help although there is no guarantee that this will make much of a difference. It is essential that a person with peritoneal mesothelioma gets the right kind of treatment for any pain that they experience so that they are as comfortable as they can be. Peritoneal mesothelioma, like the other forms of mesothelioma is highly unpleasant and hard to live with.

Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is quite rare; it affects only the thin wall of cells that line the internal organs and structures. This lining is called the mesothelium and malignant mesothelioma can manifest itself in three main ways. It can be pleural which affects the lungs, peritoneal which affects the abdominal cavity wall and pericardial which affects the lining in the heart. Experts believe that there is only one way to contract malignant mesothelioma and that is through exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is highly toxic to humans yet was once used in abundance in the building and construction trades. It was used as it has a very high tolerance of heat and it is remarkably strong, it was also very cheap. It is made of fibres which are microscopic and can be airborne when ceilings covered with asbestos crack or when it is otherwise exposed to the air. When fibres of asbestos get inside the body they cannot be broken down or expelled and this will result in serious scarring of the mesothelioma and inflammation. Once this scarring occurs it is only a matter of time before malignant mesothelioma takes hold in one of its various forms.
Symptoms of malignant mesothelioma can initially be quite hard to spot as they can be quite unnoticeable.

As a result they can be passed off as being day to day illnesses and this can cause even more problems as this delay gives malignant mesothelioma even more time to take hold of a person. It has been known for people with malignant mesothelioma to live with their symptoms for up to six months before they seek medical help with them. Symptoms of the various forms of malignant mesothelioma can include – shortness of breath, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, persistent coughing with or without blood in it, abdominal pains, stomach pains, chest pains, pain in the lower back and in some cases swelling of the face and arms and a loss of sensory capabilities. As these symptoms are so wide ranging and often seemingly unconnected it is no wonder that it can be difficult to obtain a correct diagnosis. Experts now recommend that anyone who has had prior exposure to asbestos at some point in their lives gets checked out for malignant mesothelioma even if they feel fit and well. Doing this could vastly extend a person’s life who could go on to be diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma.

Treatment for malignant mesothelioma can vary and surgery should only be an option if the disease is diagnosed in the very early stages. Otherwise it is more common for a person to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy to attempt to control the malignant mesothelioma. Although there is no known cure for malignant mesothelioma it can be controlled for some time if it is caught in time. Otherwise the outlook is not particularly positive and the best that many people with malignant mesothelioma can hope for is to be able to manage their symptoms and pain with painkillers and other medication.

Australia has the highest per capita rate of mesothelioma cases. The worst, experts say, is yet to come, Most of the mesothelioma cases in Australia are of the malignant pleural mesothelioma type. Most of the detected cases have contracted the disease due to exposure to asbestos. When the asbestos fibers or asbestos dust is inhaled through the nose, it travels down the respiratory system. Then it settles down in the lungs. The lungs have a lining called as the mesothelium lining. When this lining comes in touch with the asbestos fibers, it starts behaving in a funny manner.

It starts dividing rapidly and it also starts having longer life spans. This causes tumors in the lungs and this condition is called pleural mesothelioma. This may be cancerous (malignant pleural mesothelioma) or non-cancerous (benign pleural mesothelioma). Australia has a very high number of malignant pleural mesothelioma cases. This is a very terrible condition and has no known cure. Since the symptoms of this disease like fever, cough, chest pain, etc. are often confused with other diseases like pneumonia; it is quite difficult to correctly diagnose this disease.

Mostly it is diagnosed only in the last stages of the cancer. The patient lives for hardly a year after the diagnosis. Also, the latency period of this disease is very long. Latency period is the period between exposure to asbestos fibers and the onset of this disease. Because of the long latency period of nearly 20 to 30 years, many times this disease is not spoken as connected to asbestos. Australia has about 16 cases per million populations of adults affected with mesothelioma every year. Also, the number of mesothelioma cases in men is much higher than women. Around 600 cases of mesothelioma are recorded every year in Australia. It is expected that in the next 10-15 years, some 13000 more mesothelioma cases will be recorded.

There is a high-risk group in Australia. The following people of Australia seem to be getting mesothelioma more as compared to the remaining population:

o Town Residents

o Builders and building laborers

o Workers of shipbuilding and dockyard

o Railway workers

o Asbestos factory workers

o Power station employees.

Though Australia has such a huge incidence of mesothelioma deaths, Australia is the world’s pioneer in undertaking lot of medical research in mesothelioma. It has found a new method of treatment that promises to reduce the mortality rate. Since, there is no cure for this disease, it is better if it detected earlier. The normal methods of treatment like chemotherapy and surgery do not work in the last stages of cancer; so it is better if the disease is detected as early as possible. The Australian researchers have invented a new Screening test that can help detect mesothelioma of the malignant pleural type. This can be used in the high-risk group to find out early evidences of the malignant pleural mesothelioma. The earlier the disease is detected, the more better the chances of survival of the patient. The Australian researchers are undertaking more and more research in the medical field of mesothelioma. Australia is a real pioneer in mesothelioma research. It is a leader and example for all the other countries. Though Australia has done So much to advance mesothelioma research, still the future of Australia is bleak.

It is expected what the number of mesothelioma deaths in Australia will continue to skyrocket till the year 2020. After this, it is expected that the mesothelioma deaths will steadily decline before finally stopping. This is mainly because of the long latency period of mesothelioma. So, even after all types of asbestos are completely banned, the effects of asbestos exposure can be felt till some 20 to 30 years later. The one advantage of all the research is that the chances of survival have increased for mesothelioma patients.

Also, the life span of the patient after the detection of the disease has increased. Previously, the patient had hardly a year left to live. However, now, due to early diagnosis, this has substantially increased. Australia should continue to undertake more research on mesothelioma for the global good. It should try to advance medical science to make new innovations in the treatment of mesothelioma. All the other countries should actively support and help Australian efforts. Australia should also make available the fruits of its efforts for the entire wide world.