Mesothelioma is malignant, extremely aggressive and an incurable
cancer that invades the membrane, or mesothelium, that surrounds
most of the internal organs.
A mesothelioma diagnosis is a frightening one and
requires immediate intervention.
Mesothelioma symptoms consists of constant
chest pain, wheezing, a chronic cold that worsens over a period of
time, difficulty breathing, extreme fatigue, lung infection, swollen
lymph nodes, shortness of breath and a loss of appetite. Pleural
mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma and generally
causes a chronic cough and shortness of breath. These are such
simple symptoms that act so much like many other diseases and
illnesses that patients often ignore the symptoms until the
mesothelioma is well advanced.
If you have a known previous exposure to asbestos
you should alert doctor immediately to discuss your medical history.
It is also beneficial to discuss any prior asbestos exposure with
your doctor so that your physician knows what to look for and what
test should be ordered.
Mesothelioma cancer cells lie dormant for many
years and it is not uncommon for mesothelioma symptoms to appear as
much as 15 to 30 years after the initial asbestos exposure. People
who worked in industries such as manufacturing or construction are
the ones who are at particular risk of contracting mesothelioma.
With a known asbestos exposure, you should be vigilant about
watching for and being familiar with mesothelioma symptoms. Routine
physical exams must include a review of your medical history and a
mesothelioma diagnosis must be ruled out each year that you are
further removed from the asbestos exposure.
After a thorough physical exam your physician may
order a procedure called thoracoscopy in order to confirm or rule
out a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. With a thoracoscopy the
physician makes a small incision into the chest and takes a small
sample of lung tissue for biopsy. This tissue is then sent to the
lab where it is studied to determine whether or not it is cancerous.
Also, the doctor may use a device called peritoneoscope which looks
inside the abdomen and can also be used to collect tissue samples
for additional study. If these tests prove to be inconclusive, more
tests will be ordered to determine if the mesothelioma symptoms are
actually mesothelioma or another disease.
