Difference between Mesothelioma and Asbestosis
Mesothelioma and Asbestosis are diseases which effect lungs and are characterized by breathing problems. Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease which increases the risk of developing lung cancer while Mesothelioma is a cancer.
Asbestosis is caused to the people who are exposed to asbestos dust. This is an occupational hazard and when people exposed to this dust breathe it, their lung tissues start losing their functionality. They start changing into fibrous tissues which reduces the oxygenation of the blood and exchange of gases in the lungs is affected. This disease is common in the people who work in the industries where they make roofs etc with asbestos sheets. Gradually the patient develops respiratory failure and he becomes prone to pneumonia.
This is an incurable disease and you can only seek prevention so that he can save himself from more critical stages like cancer and mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a cancer which is not too heard of. All our organs are covered by a mesothelial covering like the lungs are covered by pleura, heart by pericardium and testis by tunica vaginalis. Mesothelioma develops from these coverings when they get any kind of infection. For example pleural cancer is developed because of prolonged exposure to asbestos.
In Mesothelioma the patients find it difficult to breathe and CT scan and pleural biopsy are done to identify this cancer. Loss of weight is one most prominent symptom of this disease just like other cancers. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are some of the treatments that are given to a patient suffering from Mesothelioma however the outcomes have not been very good.
We can consider the mentioned points for differentiating these two diseases:
- Asbestosis occurs only because of exposure to asbestos dust while Mesothelioma may be caused because of any reason and it arises from the mesothelial covering of the organs.
- Asbestosis is not a cancer while Mesothelioma is a cancer.