Mesothelioma Glossary of Terms
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Medically Reviewed By:
Patricia Shelton, M.D.
If you or a loved one is dealing with mesothelioma, you may have discovered how much jargon medical experts tend to use. It can be confusing to navigate the diagnosis and treatment options without a good explanation of the technical terms. To help make your journey a little easier, we are providing this glossary of common terms related to mesothelioma and its treatment.
Actinolite Asbestos
Adjuvant Therapy
An additional cancer treatment that is used after surgery to target any remaining cancer cells and reduce the chances that the cancer will recur. For mesothelioma, common examples of adjuvant therapy include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Patients might also receive neoadjuvant therapy, which is given before surgery.
Amosite Asbestos
Amphibole Asbestos
Anthophyllite Asbestos
Asbestos
A type of mineral made up of very thin, microscopic fibers. Multiple types of asbestos exist with slightly different properties. When asbestos is inhaled or swallowed, it can cause several different diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Although the use of asbestos is now heavily regulated in the United States, it is not completely banned, and asbestos imports continue to occur.
Asbestos Abatement
The process of identifying and removing asbestos from a structure as safely as possible. This generally involves sealing off the affected area of the building, then following stringent procedures to contain the asbestos as it is removed. Asbestos abatement may be performed during maintenance on parts of the building that contain asbestos or when a concern arises that asbestos fibers are at risk of becoming airborne in the building. Additionally, buildings that contain asbestos and are scheduled for demolition generally must have asbestos abatement performed first to avoid aerosolizing the asbestos into the surrounding air during the demolition process.
Asbestosis
A noncancerous disease that results from inhaling asbestos fibers. Prolonged exposure leads to significant scarring of the lung tissue. This causes symptoms like chest pain and difficulty breathing. Asbestosis indicates that patients have had significant asbestos exposure, which raises the risk that they will develop mesothelioma or lung cancer.
Ascites
A buildup of fluid inside of the abdomen. This can lead to uncomfortable abdominal swelling, along with symptoms such as digestive problems or swelling in the legs. Doctors can treat ascites using a procedure called paracentesis, in which the fluid is drained. Asbestos exposure is the most recognized risk factor for developing this disease.
Biphasic
One of the three main cell types of mesothelioma. This cell type contains a mixture of epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells. In terms of the prognosis and the treatment options, biphasic mesothelioma is intermediate between these other two cell types.
Chemotherapy
A common treatment option for mesothelioma and other cancers, which uses medications to attack cancer cells. These medications are typically given through an IV. In general, chemotherapy medications target cells that are growing quickly, including cancer cells. However, healthy cells in your body that grow quickly can also be affected by chemotherapy, leading to the side effects that this treatment can produce.
Chrysotile Asbestos
The only known subtype of serpentine asbestos. Because it is both highly heat resistant and flexible, this type of asbestos was very widely used in a variety of products to provide insulation and fireproofing. Chrysotile accounts for approximately 95% of asbestos used in the United States.
Crocidolite Asbestos
CRS
Epithelioid
One of the three main cell types of mesothelioma. It is also known as epithelial. In general, epithelioid mesothelioma has the best prognosis and is the easiest to treat of the three cell types. Multiple subtypes of epithelioid mesothelioma exist.