Symptoms of Mesothelioma -- Know More; Suffer Less
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma can be defined as a rare form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, the protective sac that covers most internal organs of the body. In this disease, the mesothelium cells become abnormal and begin to divide at random. Most of the time, the mesothelioma preliminary attack takes place in the pleura or peritoneum and it is found that the majority of mesothelioma patients have a history of asbestos exposure.
Link between mesothelioma and asbestos
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer with a rate of about 2,000 new cases per year in the United States. Although there is no age or specific sex for mesothelioma, older men seem to be more prone to contracting the disease. As 70% to 80% of patient case studies show, mesothelioma is closely related to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos is a group of minerals, which occur naturally in the form of strong and flexible fiber masses. It is required in several industries, namely cement, flooring, textiles, etc. When tiny particles of asbestos are inhaled or swallowed, they pose a serious threat to health, such as increased risk of lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma, etc. exposure and the habit of smoking often aggravate the risk.
Symptoms of mesothelioma
One of the peculiarities of mesothelioma is that it has a long latency period of about 15 to 50 years, which means that the symptoms of the disease can begin to appear 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. In addition, the symptoms of mesothelioma are often not specific, that is to say that they are identical in the case of several other diseases. This is why mesothelioma tests are very important to dispel the incidence of the disease if important symptoms appear.
Speaking of symptoms, there are three important symptoms of mesothelioma that can not be overlooked. These involve pain during breathing or coughing, shortness of breath, and persistent coughing which can cause streaked spurts of blood. In addition, burnout, weight loss and loss of appetite are some of the other contributing symptoms. The hoarse voice, swelling of the face or neck, swallowing problem and pain around the ribs are other very rare symptoms.
However, depending on the location of the cancerous tumors (pleura or peritoneum), the symptoms vary in case of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. In pleural mesothelioma, fluid accumulates in the pleura and causes shortness of breath, persistent cough, chest pain, difficulty sleeping, pain in the lower back and side of the chest, hoarseness, nausea, difficulty swallowing and fever.
Cancer of the abdominal lining is what we call peritoneal mesothelioma. Due to water retention in the abdominal cavity, abdominal pain and swelling follow.
The notable symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are listed as follows:
- Weightloss
- Abdominal pain
- accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
- Bowel obstruction
- abnormal blood clotting
- Abdominal mass and fever
The treatment of mesothelioma depends on several factors such as the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, the age of the patient and general health. Standard treatments used to treat the disease include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Sometimes these treatments are combined for better results.
It is therefore worth mentioning that all doctors say that to fight a disease, one must first look for the symptoms. So be aware of mesothelioma symptoms and see your doctor right away for immediate treatment.