Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer, often grows on the thin tissue layer that lines the abdomen or lungs. Prolonged exposure to asbestos is considered the primary risk factor for developing this disease because eight out of 10 of those with mesothelioma claim asbestos exposure. Age, gender, and genetics are other mesothelioma risk factors. Discussed below is what you need to know about mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma stages
Upon being diagnosed with mesothelioma, the next step is figuring out if and how far it has spread. This is where staging comes in. A cancer stage describes the amount of cancer in the body. Staging helps determine how severe the mesothelioma is and how best it can be treated. There are four mesothelioma stages, which are classified based on size, location, and the number of tumors. They include:- Stage 1: Early tumor growth develops along one of the lung’s mesothelial lining.
- Stage 2: The cancer cells have already spread to the lymph nodes nearby.
- Stage 3: At this level, the mesothelioma cancer tumors have invaded deeper tissues in distant lymph nodes and close organs.
- Stage 4: The cancer tumors have spread and reached distant organs.