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Malignant mesothelioma affects the membrane that lines the chest, heart, or abdomen. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Over 80 percent of mesothelioma patients have worked with asbestos products for extended periods of time. The disease takes anywhere from 20 to 50 years to develop and may be difficult to diagnose because of its long latency period.
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Shortness of breath, chest pain, ascites, and weight loss are the main symptoms associated with mesothelioma. Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma experience coughing, muscle weakness, anemia, fatigue, and pleural effusion. This disease attacks the membrane surrounding the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma symptoms often mimic less serious conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. Some patients present swelling of the face and arms, pain in the lower back, and hoarseness.
Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdominal cavity. This form of cancer causes unexplained weight loss, night sweats, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, ascites and problems with bowel function. Individuals diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in late stages present low blood sugar levels, blood clots in the veins, bowel obstruction, and jaundice.
The least common form of mesothelioma affects the tissue that surrounds the heart. This condition is called pericardial mesothelioma and causes severe breathing difficulties, pulmonary emboli, heart murmurs, and fever. In severe cases of the diseases, cardiac arrest may occur. Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for less than 10 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
Doctors generally use imaging tests and X-rays to detect mesothelioma. Even the most experienced oncologists have a difficult time diagnosing this rare form of cancer because its symptoms resemble those triggered by other diseases, both cancerous and non-cancerous. If you have a history of exposure to asbestos, the doctor will review your medical history and then perform a physical examination. He may also order a computerized tomography of your chest, a pleural aspiration, or a biopsy.
The doctor will ask for information about your occupational history and then arrange for you to have some blood tests. He may recommend a chest X-ray to detect any abnormalities in your lungs. Imaging tests use magnetic fields or radioactive particles to create pictures of your internal organs. Doctors perform these tests to determine how far the cancer may have spread. In order to detect the tumor, your doctor will order a positron emission tomography (PET) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
A biopsy may be needed to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis. Doctors use this procedure to remove samples of fluid from the chest cavity (thoracentesis), the abdomen (paracentesis), or from the sac around the heart (pericardiocentesis).
Mesothelioma patients diagnosed in early stages of the disease have more treatment options and live longer than those diagnosed in advanced stages. If you have been exposed to asbestos, tell your doctor immediately. He will order a number of tests to determine the extent of the tumor and find an appropriate treatment.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma you will need detailed information on how to reach the top mesothelioma doctors throughout the country. Your specific type of mesothelioma should be handled by someone in the mesothelioma field specializing in that exact type of mesothelioma. Use the form on this page to request that we immediately ship you our mesothelioma packet that contains loads of valuable information on all aspects of dealing with mesothelioma from locating top doctors to identifying new treatment options and clinical trials.
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