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.
Unfortunately, mesothelioma is such an aggressive disease that left untreated it can cause death in as little as four months to a year after diagnosis. The leading cause of death from mesothelioma is respiratory failure or pneumonia.
However, one-third of patients can die from bowel obstruction if the tumor extends through the diaphragm, and approximately 10% of patients suffer cardiac problems when the tumor invades the pericardium, the area surrounding the heart and the heart itself.
Leading Causes of Mesothelioma
Before discussing the symptoms of mesothelioma, it is important to discuss the leading causes of the disease as well. As most people suspect, 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 predisposition for the disease.
Whatever the case may be, however you think you may have contracted mesothelioma it is important to go over the signs and symptoms of the disease with your doctor. It is important to understand your health, any changes in your health, as well as the symptoms you are experiencing, and discuss any symptomatic changes with your physician.
Pleural (Lung) Mesothelioma Symptoms
The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma which affects the tissues surrounding the lungs, and most often tumors are only found on one side of the lungs. Shortness of breath and chest pain are the first symptoms of 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.
Because these symptoms are very common in other illnesses it is very important that you talk to your doctor with any concerns you may have about these symptoms, and whether or not you may have been exposed to asbestos in the past.
In some severe cases of pleural mesothelioma, a person may develop several tumor masses, have a collapsed lung (pneumothorax), or the disease will spread to other parts of the body such as the abdomen. When this occurs it is called metastasize.
Peritoneal (Abdominal) Mesothelioma Symptoms
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.
Severe Cases – Symptoms
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.
Other Areas of the Body
If mesothelioma spreads, metastasizes, beyond the mesothelium, symptoms may include pain or trouble when swallowing, or swelling of the neck and face. Fortunately, it does not usually spread to the brain, the bones, or the adrenal glands.
Again, it is important to discuss any changes in your health, especially weight loss, bowel function, or swelling and pain in your abdomen with your physician. This does not mean that you absolutely have peritoneal mesothelioma, but it is always a good idea to discuss any concerns you have with your doctor.
Other Forms of Mesothelioma – Symptoms
Because other forms of mesothelioma are very rare, information on symptoms is also very rare. Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the area surrounding the heart, include difficulty breathing and chest pain. A mass on the testicles may be the first sign of mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis, which affects the area surrounding the testicles.
