Most of the time when individuals hear about mesothelioma, they immediately think of lung cancer, unfortunately this is not the case. Let’s delve in further to what exactly lung cancer is and how it’s different from pleural mesothelioma. We’ll break it into four sections for each disease. It is vital to establish the definitions of each disease to find the correct form of treatment and if diagnosed with mesothelioma, you might be eligible for compensation.
What are Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer and What is the Cause?
Lung cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when “normal lung cells change, or mutate, in a way that alters their natural growth and death cycle, resulting in unregulated cell division that produces too many cells” according to Moffitt Cancer Center. This mutation can lead to a rapid spread and can later form tumors or large masses in the lungs. The main cause of lung caner is smoking as it makes up 90% of all cases found by the American Lung Association. A few other causes include, genetics, radon (odorless radioactive gas), dangerous chemicals (asbestos, nickel, etc.), and pollution.
Mesothelioma is form of cancer that attacks the mesothelial cells and the tissue lines multiple organs such as the lungs, heart, abdomen, and testicles. Each location that is affected contributes to a different form of mesothelioma, when it occurs in the lungs it is pleural mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma occurs in the heart, peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the abdomen, and testicular mesothelioma occurs in the testicles. The most common cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a natural mineral composed of six fibers that can be harmful when ingested or inhaled.
Where Does it Originate and What is the Latency Period?
Lung cancer originates in the lungs. It is recognized as a non-small lung cancer which means that it is extremely aggressive and can grow rapidly to other areas. Symptoms can take up to eight years to show according to MedicineNet.
Pleural Mesothelioma originates in the tissue lining of the lungs. This is different from lung cancer as lung cancer is formed inside the tissue of the lungs. The latency period for mesothelioma is recognized to take anywhere from 20 to 60 years to show up.
What Are the Symptoms and How Common is it?
While symptoms can overlap amongst the two diseases there are a few differences.
A few symptoms of Lung Cancer include:
- Persistent cough
- Blood when coughing
- Persistent respiratory infection
- Weight loss
Lung cancer is one of the leading cancers in the United States and there are around 235,000 cases per year according to the American Cancer Society (“Lung Cancer Statistics | How Common Is Lung Cancer?”).
A few symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Weight loss
- Fluid buildup (Pleural effusion) (“Treatment for Fluid on the Lung (Pleurodesis)”)
Mesothelioma cases (including all types) make up around 3,000 cases per year according to the American Cancer Society. While mesothelioma is rare compared to other cancers, there are still an increasing amount of diagnosis each year.
How are Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Diagnosed?
Lung Cancer is diagnosed using:
- Imaging scans
- Bronchoscopy (endoscopic procedure to look in the airways)
- Needle/surgical biopsy (remove piece of lung)
Pleural mesothelioma is diagnosed using:
- Multiple Imaging scans
- X-ray (searching for thickening or fluid buildup)
- CT scan (staging of the disease)
- MRI (detect the disease)
- Blood tests (LDH enzyme test found in cells that can imply cancer is present)
- Biopsy of tissue lining (collect fluid or tissue for definite diagnosis)
While lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma present similar symptoms and diagnosis tests the cause of each and commonality are strikingly different. If you or someone you know has been affected by mesothelioma in the state of Pennsylvania, please visit call (800) 505-6000 or fill out our form for more information.
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