"This outstanding mesothelioma resource written by Dr. Kaplan in easy
to understand terms will greatly benefit patients and their families."
- Zach Modis
"I wish I had this book when my dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
It explains so much. "
- Sundi
"Well written, informative, helpful…"
- Julia Baker
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that will cause problems in the membrane lining
of the lungs or abdomen or sometimes of the heart. The main cause for mesothelioma
is said to be the exposure of the human body to asbestos and its products. It is
a common symptom seen in people who have worked in places where they are always
exposed to asbestos or people staying near the asbestos production units. They usually
occur in elderly people and men are more susceptible to this type of cancer. The
symptoms of mesothelioma appear only 30 or 40 years after the exposure to the asbestos.
This explains why mesothelioma is commonly found in elderly people.
Mesothelioma which affects the lungs is called pleural mesothelioma and the symptoms
associated with this type of malignancy are due to accumulation of fluid within
the pleura or the membrane that surrounds the lungs. The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma
include: shortness of breath, pain under the rib cage or chest, mild to severe constant
cough and sudden loss of weight.
Peritonial mesothelioma is another type of malignancy which affects the internal
lining or peritoneum of the intestine. Peritoneal mesothelioma has many symptoms
which are similar to the symptoms of other diseases as well. So it is very difficult
to diagnose mesothelioma of the peritoneum. The common symptoms are: abdominal swelling,
formation of tissue mass in the abdomen, sudden weight loss, nausea, anemia, mild
or severe abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. In some extreme cases, constant
fever is accompanied by these symptoms.
Another type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma, which is of very rare
occurrence. It affects the pericardium or the lining of the heart and causes fluid
build up between the tissues of the heart and the lining. The symptoms generally
seen in pericardial mesothelioma patients are: mild to severe chest pain, regular
cough, irregular heart beats, breathing pattern irregularities and constant general
fatigue of the body which is unexplainable.
Sometimes the symptoms of mesothelioma appear only when metastasis occurs. Metastasis
is the condition in which the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other
parts of the body. The main symptoms of metastatic mesothelioma are: general body
pain, difficulty in swallowing food and inflammation of the neck or the face.
As in other type of cancers, early detection will help in better treatment and
getting rid of malignancy. But the main problem is that mesothelioma symptoms will
be shown in the later stages of the malignancy and by that time the cancer might
have spread in such a way that it is incurable. If you suspect exposure to asbestos,
do not wait for the symptoms to show up, rather get diagnosed by a medical practitioner
who is well experienced in handling mesothelioma cases.
Many of the symptoms of mesothelioma resemble the symptoms of other less severe
diseases. So never come to a conclusion by yourself even if most of the above mentioned
symptoms are present in you. Only proper medical examination and biopsy can confirm
whether a person is suffering from mesothelioma or not.
