While most people think of mesothelioma as a form of lung cancer, it’s important to be aware that it can also appear in the lining around the abdomen and the lining around the heart. Neither one of these kinds of mesothelioma are very treatable, and the prognosis is poorer for people who are diagnosed with these types of mesothelioma – especially if it’s found in the heart lining. Surgery and other options that can be used for mesothelioma in the lungs just aren’t feasible around the heart, and mesothelioma that’s found in the abdominal cavity has often attacked several organs by the time it’s discovered. While these ideas are frightening, there is something that you can do to help avoid these kinds of problems.
If you’ve been exposed to asbestos, see your doctor. That’s true if you were an asbestos worker, and true if you were just indirectly exposed to asbestos. Indirect exposure can come from working or living in a building with asbestos insulation, or from being a close family member of someone who worked with asbestos. The fibers would have likely come home on the worker’s hair, clothing, and skin, exposing the entire family to asbestos. While indirect exposure is not as dangerous, especially if it was short-term, it’s still possible that mesothelioma could come from that kind of exposure, so seeing the doctor is a good idea – even if you don’t feel sick.