Malignant Mesothelioma Symptoms
Individuals with a history of asbestos exposure should schedule an appointment with their doctors to screen for asbestos-related diseases. Because mesothelioma does not present early symptoms, individuals who were in contact with asbestos should inform their doctor of their exposure. Patients who have a history of asbestos exposure but are not exhibiting symptoms should receive chest x-rays or lung function tests to screen for any indications of asbestos-related diseases.
Read More : Malignant Mesothelioma Information
The most common form of mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma forms in the lining of the lungs. Common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include the following: persistent dry or raspy cough; trouble swallowing; cough that produces blood; painful breathing; shortness of breath; chest or rib pain; night sweats/fever; and unexplained weight loss. Fatigue and lumps under the skin of the chest have also been reported in patients with pleural mesothelioma. Many symptoms of pleural mesothelioma occur as a result of pleural thickening, which is caused by fluid buildup between membrane layers. Pleural thickening and fluid buildup can put pressure on the lungs, causing problems with respiratory function.
Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdomen and makes up approximately 30% of all mesothelioma cases. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include swelling or pain in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting and a change in bowel habits. Peritoneal mesothelioma can also cause night sweats, fever, unexplained weight loss, anemia, fatigue and lumps under the skin of the abdomen. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma develop due to the thickening of the peritoneal membrane and fluid buildup between the membrane layers. This can put pressure on the abdomen and its organs, causing the patient to experience symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma.
Read More : Mesothelioma is a Type of Cancer
The least common form of mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma develops in the sac surrounding the heart. Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma include heart palpitations, chest pain, fatigue, trouble breathing, fever and night sweats. These symptoms are caused by fluid buildup and the thickening of the pericardial membrane. Because pericardial mesothelioma is rare, its list of symptoms is not as comprehensive as other forms of mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma is often difficult to diagnose and typically has a poor prognosis.
Individuals experiencing symptoms of mesothelioma should seek medical attention immediately. Although mesothelioma shares symptoms with a number of less serious diseases, it's important to receive a firm diagnosis as soon as possible. Although the overall prognosis for mesothelioma is poor, patients diagnosed in the earlier stages typically have a better outlook.
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Mesothelioma symptoms appear decades after exposure to asbestos has taken place. Mesothelioma cannot be conclusively diagnosed from observation of its symptoms alone because the cancer has symptoms that are common to other illnesses. Additionally, different types of mesothelioma have different symptoms.
Pleural mesothelioma develops in the pleura, or the lining of the lungs. It is the most common form of mesothelioma. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are chest pain, difficulty with breathing, difficulty with swallowing, coughing of blood and night sweats.
Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the peritoneum, or the lining of the abdomen. Its symptoms include weight loss, diarrhea, swelling of the abdomen, abdominal pain and formation of lumps of tissue in the abdomen.
Pericardial mesothelioma is found in the tissue surrounding the heart. It is among the rarest types of mesothelioma, found in about 5% of mesothelioma cases. The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma are chest pain, irregular heart beat, fever and difficulty with breathing.
Testicular mesothelioma, or mesothelioma of Tunica Vaginalis develops in the tissue surrounding the testicles. The symptom of this type of mesothelioma is the presence of a mass on the testicle. Because this type of mesothelioma is the rarest type of the cancer, information concerning its symptoms is limited.
Anyone experiencing the symptoms described above should take heart that mesothelioma is a rare cancer afflicting about 3,000 people in the US each year. Thus, it is likely that the symptoms are indicative of a condition or illness less serious than mesothelioma. However, no conclusion should be reached without the guidance of a healthcare professional.
It is especially important for people who worked with asbestos containing products or lived with anyone who did, to seek medical attention if they are experiencing the symptoms of mesothelioma. Unfortunately, asbestos was used in a wide range of products such as brakes, roofing shingles, electrical wiring and insulation material. Consequently, workers such as mechanics, construction workers, boiler workers, electricians and others who worked with asbestos products are at risk of developing mesothelioma. Further, people who lived with asbestos industry workers are also at risk of developing the cancer from secondary asbestos exposure e.g., washing the asbestos contaminated clothes of someone who worked with asbestos.
People suffering from mesothelioma should consider contacting an experienced mesothelioma lawyer. Companies in the asbestos industry knew of the lethal dangers of asbestos but did not disclose them to maintain profitability. For the same reason, companies did not provide protective equipment that could have prevented exposure to asbestos. Therefore, the law allows mesothelioma patients to file legal claims against companies responsible for their exposure to asbestos.
Malignant mesotheliomas are rare cancers that form in the tissues lining the lungs (pleura), abdomen (peritoneum) or heart (pericardium). Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs, is the most common, accounting for about 75 percent of all malignant mesotheliomas. Between ten and twenty percent of all malignant mesotheliomas are peritoneal mesotheliomas. Pericardial mesotheliomas are extremely rare. A history of exposure to asbestos is found in most individuals with mesothelioma. The time from exposure to onset of cancer may be as long as thirty years; this is why most people with malignant mesothelioma are between 50 and 70 years old.
Read More : Understanding and Recognizing the Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Many symptoms of malignant mesothelioma are non-specific, and are also seen in a number of other chest and abdominal conditions. This, combined with the lack of an accurate history of asbestos exposure in some patients, may considerably delay diagnosis. The majority of people with mesothelioma only have symptoms during the two to three months before they are diagnosed. About one quarter of all people with malignant mesothelioma have symptoms for about six months before diagnosis.
Once symptoms are present, they may depend on the location of the primary cancer. In general, symptoms become more pronounced with more advanced disease. With pleural mesothelioma, common symptoms are difficulty breathing, cough, pain in the chest or under the ribcage, coughing up blood, hoarseness, and the collection of fluid or pleural effusion in the pleural cavity. The face and arms may swell up. Many of these symptoms and signs are also seen with lung cancer.
With peritoneal mesothelioma, symptoms may include a lump or swelling in the abdomen, abdominal pain, fluid in the abdomen, constipation due to bowel obstruction, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Patients suffering from pericardial mesothelioma may experience chest pain, breathlessness and palpitations. Some symptoms of malignant mesothelioma are common to many cancers. These include unexplained weight loss, fever and fatigue.
Mesothelioma being a rare form of cancer has very high latency period, which indicates that the development of the disease usually takes several years of exposure to asbestos. Patients who are under asbestos will not observe any symptoms till several decades of exposure to asbestos. Since the symptoms of mesothelioma are common to other less serious diseases, lots of patients do not realize the presence of this disease and ignore these symptoms. There are 3 different categories of mesothelioma - pleural mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma and each category has its own symptoms.
Pleural Mesothelioma symptoms
It is the most common category of mesothelioma which affects the pleural lining between the lungs. The common symptoms of this form of cancer include,
1. Painful breathing
2. Continuous Chronic cough
3. Fever and Night sweats
4. Unanticipated Weight loss
5. Fatigue
6. Blood spill during cough
7. Difficulty in swallowing food
Patients having this cancer also develop lumps of skin below their chest. The disease symptoms usually develop due to thickening of pleural lining that happens because of fluid build-up between the membrane layers. Accumulation of fluid and pleural thickening results in pressure on lungs, which reduces the breathing capacity of lungs and causes other respiratory problems.
Peritoneal mesothelioma Symptoms:
Another category of this cancer is peritoneal mesothelioma which develops in abdominal region of the body. Around thirty percent of cases of mesothelioma have been reported to be peritoneal mesothelioma. The symptoms of this form of cancer include,
1. Pain and swelling in abdomen
2. Variation in bowel habits
3. Vomiting and Nausea
4. Fatigues and unexplained weight loss
5. Lumps of skin below abdomen
6. Anemia
7. Fever and night sweats etc.
The symptoms occur because of thickening of peritoneal membrane which is important for movement of organs inside abdominal cavity. It is due to accumulation of fluid between the layers of this membrane which causes pressure on abdomen and organs inside it.
Pericardial Mesothelioma symptoms:
It is the rarest form of cancer among the three types and occurs in very less percentage. Pericardial mesothelioma infects the regions surrounding heart and is highly dangerous. The symptoms include,
1. Fatigue
2. Pain in chest
3. Breathing trouble
4. Heart Palpitations
5. Night sweats
It is very difficult to diagnose this disease and the prognosis is very poor. Patients who have exposure to asbestos on continuous basis should always seek medical attention and get themselves diagnosed for this dangerous disease as early as possible when they observe any of the above mentioned symptoms.
Mesothelioma Symptoms
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Oleh
Nicolas Sri
