As with any cancer, or disease for that matter, early diagnosis is the key to your success. Unfortunately, with mesothelioma early diagnosis is not that simple. Signs and symptoms are so common that they can sometimes be mistaken for an everyday illnesses, making it very difficult to diagnosis.
Another issue with early diagnosis of mesothelioma is the latency period of this disease. This is the length of time, which the mesothelioma has been hiding in your body since your exposure to asbestos, the leading cause of mesothelioma, without being detected.
Your best chance for an early diagnosis is being educated about the disease, the risk factors and the signs and symptoms, and being proactive about talking to your doctor about being scheduling a lung X-ray if you have any concerns about your health and any symptoms you may be experiencing.
It is also helpful to educate yourself about the stages of the disease, to help you understand where you are when you are diagnosed, and what treatment options are available at that time. You will be able to discuss this more with your doctor, and understand more of what he or she is explaining.
Mesothelioma – What is it?
Malignant mesothelioma can occur in the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs, the peritoneum, which is surrounding the abdomen, and the pericardium, which lines the heart. Each type of malignant mesothelioma can be further broken down into three distinct histological categories, or cell types; epithelioid mesothelioma, sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Risk Factors
The leading cause of mesothelioma, as most people suspect, is exposure to asbestos, which are groups of minerals with thin microscopic fibers. These fibers are heat, fire and chemical resistant, and do not conduct electricity, which made them highly marketable in the construction and automotive industries.
Unfortunately, these highly sought after fibers were very harmful if inhaled or swallowed. It is likely that 70-80% of all cases of mesothelioma are occupational related, or from family members of someone who worked with or near asbestos.
However, not all cases of mesothelioma are caused by asbestos exposure and that led scientists to search for other causes. Some of those causes could be zeolites, which are a mineral relative of asbestos found in Turkey, and may be possible for the incidence of mesothelioma in Turkey.
Another cause may be exposure to radiation. Up until the 1950’s chest and abdomen X-rays were performed using thorium dioxide. Anyone who may have been exposed to high doses of thorium dioxide is at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma.
Simian virus 40, or SV40, which contaminated over 30 million U.S. citizens from 1955 – 1963 via polio vaccinations is one more possible cause of mesothelioma. Scientists have also discovered that it may just be genetics. Studies have shown that people may just have a genetic predisposition for the disease.
Mesothelioma Symptoms
Many patients can have symptoms for up to six months before diagnosis, but may have actually been exposed to asbestos, the leading cause of mesothelioma as many as 50 years ago.
Shortness of breath and chest pain are the first symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, which are due to the fluid retention in the lungs, as well as pleural effusion – fluid surrounding the lungs.
Fatigue, anemia (decrease in number of red blood cells), wheezing, hoarseness, cough, and blood in sputum coughed up (hemoptysis) are other common symptoms. In some cases patients have even developed lumps under the skin of the chest.
In some severe cases of pleural mesothelioma, a person may develop several tumor masses, have a collapsed lung (pneumothorax), or the disease will spread, metastasize, to other parts of the body such as the abdomen.
Because mesothelioma usually starts in the lungs and then metastasizes to the abdomen, symptoms of peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma do not usually appear until late stage. They can include weight loss, ascites which is abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen, swelling and pain in the abdomen, and blood clotting abnormalities. As with pleural mesothelioma, anemia and fever can also occur, as well as lumps under the skin of the abdomen in some patients.
A major symptom of peritoneal mesothelioma is problems with bowel functions. This can be a sign of a bowel obstruction, which could be caused by a tumor extending through the diaphragm – one of the leading causes of death from mesothelioma.
In severe cases of mesothelioma, other symptoms may occur, including a condition known as thrombophlebitis, which is vein inflammation caused by blood clots in the veins. A disorder known as disseminated vascular coagulation that causes severe bleeding in many organs is also another symptom possible in severe cases of mesothelioma.
Jaundice, yellowing of the skin and eyes, low blood sugar levels, pulmonary emboli – blood clots in the arteries of the lungs, and severe ascites are a few other symptoms that can occur in severe cases of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma – Stages of the Disease
Like many other types of cancer, there are four different stages of mesothelioma. Stage 1 is the earliest diagnosed stage of mesothelioma. During this stage surgery is usually the most effective type of treatment, and is usually combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Stages 2 and 3 mesotheliomas are intermediate and are considered palliative care, or trying to reduce the severity of the disease, rather than curing it. With a successful surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, patients often experience long remissions. Healthy patients will again undergo chemotherapy and radiation to reduce the possibility of the mesothelioma returning.
Stage 4 is the most severe and advanced stage of mesothelioma and has metastasized, or spread, to many areas of your body. At this point, surgery to remove tumors is not an option, and your doctor will gear your treatment towards making you comfortable.
