Asbestos is a real concern for many people who work in industries that are at high risk for exposure. It is helpful for people who are employed in high risk asbestos industries to become knowledgeable about mesothelioma as well as mesothelioma stages.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been mined from the earth for hundreds of years. It in the last century it has been used for its insulating and fire retardant qualities.

Although the use of it has been greatly reduced in the last 30 to 40 years, asbestos is still found in some old buildings as is still currently used in some industries.

When asbestos is inhaled into the lungs, the lungs cannot expel the fibers. Those fibers can remain in an individuals lungs for many decades. Over time, these fibers begin to inflame the lungs and the lining of the lungs as well, called the pleural lining.

These fibers can lodge themselves inside the lungs, on the pleural lining of the lungs or abdomen. After a latency period, the asbestos fibers can cause tumors to grow in these areas. When tumors grow on the linings of the lungs or abdomen, this is called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

There are different forms of mesothelioma and different mesothelioma stages as well.

Pleural mesothelioma makes up about seventy-five percent of all mesothelioma cases. This form of mesothelioma occurs on the pleural lining of the lungs.

A form of mesothelioma that occurs in the lining of the abdomen is called peritoneal mesothelioma. The abdomen contains different organs, so this type of mesothelioma can form tumors in different areas and patients exhibit different symptoms. This makes up about twenty-five percent of mesothelioma cases.

Another form of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma which occurs in less than one percent of all mesothelioma cases. This is when mesothelioma forms on the lining of the heart.

All forms of mesothelioma are considered life-threatening. Determining which of the four mesothelioma stages, or advancement of the disease, is helpful in knowing treatment options and prognosis.

A doctor can determine which of the four mesothelioma stages a patient is in through CT scans and x-rays.

The first of the mesothelioma stages is characterized by localized cancer. Often the cancer is on only one side of the body. Patients in stage one have the longest life expectancy and the most hopeful prognosis. Surgery to cure the disease is possible and can be beneficial and in this stage, it has not metastasized nor spread to the lymph system.

In the second of the mesothelioma stages, cancer is still only on one side of the body but the tumor has grown and is no longer just where it originated. There may be minimal lymph node spreading and surgery is still an option during stage two.

The third of the mesothelioma stages is characterized by a tumor that is still on one side of the body but has spread to lymph nodes and organs. At this stage, surgery is usually not an option, so other kinds of therapy or treatment is involved in someone with stage 3 mesothelioma.

In the fourth of the mesothelioma stages, cancer is now on both parts of the body. The tumors are in the blood, lymph nodes and other organs. Pain relieving care as well as radiation and chemotherapy are usually the best options at this point.