All Pericardial Mesothelioma Information Faq

What is pericardial mesothelioma?

Pericardial mesothelioma is a serious heart condition which consists of cancerous cells building up on the lining of the heart. Similarly to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, this is a terminal illness due to the importance of the area on which it grows.

What causes pericardial mesothelioma and who are most at risk?

The primary cause of pericardial mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos dust and fibres. Therefore those at risk are those who are most likely to have inhaled these deadly fibres such as construction workers and asbestos manufacturers. Those in contact with these people also have a chance of getting pericardial mesothelioma because these people may have asbestos fibres stuck to their clothes or hair.

What are the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma?

The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma change from patient to patient. Usual symptoms include persistent coughing, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. Other symptoms patients may experience are nausea, weight loss, vomiting and loss of appetite.

What are the treatments available for pericardial mesothelioma?

There are various different treatments for pericardial mesothelioma although none of these have a high success rate. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, dual therapy and surgery are the treatment methods available. Chemotherapy includes using drugs to kill off cancerous cells and radiation therapy uses doses of radiation to kill cancer cells although this is difficult in the case of pericardial mesothelioma due to the surrounding vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Dual therapy is a treatment combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Surgery comes in two forms; aggressive surgery and palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery is a very difficult procedure and consists of removing large chunks of cancerous cells in an attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Palliative procedures just attempts to lessen the symptoms for the patient.

How much exposure to asbestos is needed for there to be a possibility of getting pericardial mesothelioma?

This depends on how strong and resistant the person is to disease and on the concentration of asbestos in the environment around him. It is possible to get pericardial mesothelioma from as little as a couple of months of exposure to asbestos although on average it would take a couple of years for enough asbestos fibres to build up to cause cancer.

What is the prognosis for pericardial mesothelioma?

This is highly dependent on how early and how aggressively the cancer is treated. If pericardial mesothelioma is treated when it has fully developed and matured then the chances of a patient’s survival is very small. The prognosis could be only a couple of months.

Is there any promising research into cures for pericardial mesothelioma?

Research into cures of pericardial mesothelioma and all other forms of mesothelioma is being done in numerous research labs all over the USA. Many pharmaceutical companies are also working hard to research new drugs for chemotherapy. So far, research has been mostly unsuccessful.

Getting an Comprehensive international health insurance policy

When traveling, there is a need to get a comprehensive international health insurance policy especially if you are planning to stay in the country for a long period of time. A comprehensive international health insurance policy often provides coverage not only for medical and health-related expenses, it also covers cancelled trips and emergency assistance in case you need one. Cancelled trips can be reimbursed so that you can book a flight anytime you want.

Still, it is pretty hard to actually choose the kind of comprehensive health insurance policy that you will be needing. All will of course depend on your needs as well as the features of the trip that you will be making. To help you with your decision, below are some guidelines that might help you select the right travel insurance policy for you.

1. Before making actually buying an insurance policy, make sure that you don’t have insurance policies, credit cards and other privilege cards that will do the same functions as the comprehensive health insurance policy in case the trip was accidentally cancelled, you got sick or you lost your luggage. Remember that some credit cards provide free travel insurance if the tickets are purchased with their card. Buying a health insurance policy when you are actually sufficiently covered already will be a serious waste of time and money.

2. Ask if you are also amply protected against travel injuries that you may incur after the trip as well as thefts. Most credit card company will only provide insurance if you are still in the airport or while you are on air. If you feel that you also need insurance policy when you get to your destination, then by all means get a health insurance plan.

3. If you are the type to travel often, getting a travel health insurance will save you considerable money and effort. Comprehensive travel health insurance cover the person for a year. If you do several trips in a year, this is already a bargain since you will also be covered even when you have already left the airport.



4. Consider where you are going in deciding whether to get a travel insurance or not. If you are going to places where you feel your health can be compromised and affected, then get your own comprehensive travel health insurance plan. Remember that there are countries where certain diseases are prevalent. This is especially true with the tropical countries in Asia and in the South Americas.

5. Another point to consider is if the place you are traveling to is a known terrorism hot zone. Most travel health insurance policy do not actually offer coverage for victims of terrorist attacks. There are however some who offer terrorism insurance. For instance, even if you are traveling by ship, the terrorism insurance will still be effective. A terrorism travel health insurance is of course more expensive and premium will depend upon the age, the health status and the length of the trip.

6. Read on the clauses and policies of the comprehensive travel health insurance policy before buying. Focus on the sections that indicate exceptions to the coverage. You should also look into the other services that the insurance provides in addition to the health coverage.