Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining -mesothelium- that covers many of the body’s internal organs. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Its most commonly found on the outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall, but it may also occur in the the lining of the abdominal cavity, the sac that surrounds the heart or the sac that surrounds the testis.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos and glass particles. Others have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Some say that washing the clothes of a family member who has worked with asbestos or glass can put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-induced cancers.

Those who have been exposed to asbestos have collected damages for asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in law practices regarding mesothelioma.

Symptoms or signs of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years (or more) after exposure to asbestos.

Early Symptoms of Mesothelioma

The early symptoms of mesothelioma are very minor, and may be mistaken for symptoms of other, less serious, diseases. Pleural mesothelioma, the most common form of mesothelioma, is cancer in the mesothelium surrounding the lungs. The early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough. One common misdiagnosis of pleural mesothelioma is pneumonia.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is cancer that is in the mesothelioma surrounding the abdominal organs. Mesothelioma in this area causes weight loss, nausea, and swelling in the lower extremities. Symptoms of both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma include the development of an effusion.

An effusion, either in the pleural or peritoneal mesothelium, is a build-up of excessive fluid. The excessive fluid is a result of the imbalance in the mesothelium cells. Their job is to lubricate the organs that they surround. When the mesothelium cells are invaded by cancer they overproduce the protective cells, which in turn cause fluid build-up. The fluid build-up from an effusion can cause side effects such as shortness of breath and chest pain, or, in the case of a peritoneal effusion, bowel obstruction and swelling of the abdomen.

More Advanced Symptoms of Mesothelioma

By the time that a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the cancer is often well advanced. The patient may cough up blood, have abnormal blood clotting, experience fatigue, and suffer with night sweats.

The symptoms of mesothelioma include:

• shortness of breath due to fluid between the lung and the chest wall

• chest wall pain

• general symptoms such as weight loss.

• Abdominal swelling and pain

• bowel obstruction

• blood lotting abnormalities

• anemia

• fever

• trouble swallowing

• swelling of the neck or face

• Pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung

• Shortness of breath

• Fatigue

• Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough

• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

• Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis

• Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs

• Jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin

• Low blood sugar level

• Pleural effusion

• Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs

• Severe ascites

• many tumor masses.

The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a tissue sample and microscopic examination. Inserting a tube with a camera into the chest can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space, which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.