One dangerous type of cancer that affects the lungs is called mesothelioma. It is caused when the individual is in contact or is exposed to asbestos over a period of time. The dangerous aspect of this disease is that it cannot be detected very quickly and surfaces only after some years and since most people do not take immediate action by taking the necessary medicines, they fall prey to the disease. It must be mentioned here that the age and general physical condition of the patient also does matter a great deal in how he or she is able to fight the disease.

This disease that essentially affects the mesothelium or outer protective layer of cells leads to the organs getting exposed to the disease and any part of the body can be attacked by this cancer. Once infected, the organs would not be able to survive as the cancer keeps spreading and ultimately results in the total failure of the organ.

The normal organs affected are the lungs as well as the chest wall. It can also affect the abdominal lining as well as the pericardium of the heart and that is why it is so dangerous to life. A person affected can easily die due to the collapse of these important organs and that is why it is imperative to detect the cancer early and start taking the required medicines. Though this still does not guarantee a cure, the progress of the cancer can be arrested and that in itself would be a great relief to the patient.

It is the profession of the individuals that is responsible for this cancer and generally people in the building as well as real estate profession are the worst hit. Others who even wash the clothes of the person working at sites where asbestos exposure is high can get affected and that is the scary part of the disease. Unfortunately, not many people knew about these facts till some years ago and since then though many safeguards have been put in place, the damage had already been done to the earlier batch of workers.

There is no link or connection between those who smoke to those getting affected by mesothelioma. While that also causes problems to the lungs, at least it can be prevented if the person stops smoking and makes other life style changes. With mesothelioma, once the cancer sets in, it is difficult to prevent its progress unless detected very early and all necessary medication such as chemotherapy and other drugs are started off in right earnest.

The key therefore is quick detection like with other cancers and there is no other alternative to fight this cancer scourge called mesothelioma.