A Few: Shortness of Breath, Lower Back Pain Wheezing Voice
Cancer of the mesothelium has a few primary symptoms. Pleural mesotheliomas main symptom is shortness of breath due to pleural effusion ” the accumulation of fluid in the pleura, or membrane, surrounding the lung. Another common symptomis chest pain due to the tumor invading the chest wall. Additional symptoms include night sweats, weight loss and exhaustion.
The main indicatorof patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, which is centralized in the abdomen, is abdominal swelling due to fluid buildup in the abdomen (a condition called ascites), pain in the abdomen, and blockage of the bowel.
Its vital to know that other afflictions or diseases could be causing these symptoms. However, if you have been exposed to asbestos and have these symptoms, you should visit a doctor.
Pleural mesothelioma cancer is hard to identify, because many symptoms are also associated with less serious conditions. These symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest or lower back pains due to accumulated fluid in the pleura
- Burning up
- Vomiting
- Breathy voice
- Having trouble swallowing
- Coughing blood
Do not attempt self-diagnosis. One suffering from any of the above symptoms should see a doctor and remain calm. The standard way to confirm the condition is with a biopsy. A pathologist takes a small tissue sample from the suspicious area and examines it to return a highly accurate diagnosis. Biopsies are generally not painful.
A CT scan (Computer Tomography is an option if you dont want a biopsy. A CT scan is basically an X-ray procedure where cross-sectional images are taken as a scanner rotates around the body. Once in a while, a dye is ingested by the patient to help define the images. CT scans might be advantageous because of their simplistic and non-invasive nature, and they are recognized as being effective in diagnosis. Opinion is divided as to whether the scan is more or less cost-effective than a biopsy. If there are irregularities, a biopsy may be needed on top of the CT scan to confirm whether or not the irregularity is a tumor, and if thats the case, if its malignant or benign. Pleural mesothelioma can also be diagnosed by looking for cancer cells in a sample of fluid from the pleura.
Mesothelioma can also be screened and then diagnosed by any of these methods. Patients are screened when they suspect they may be at risk but do not have typical symptoms, to ensure they are not at risk to get the cancer or to catch the cancer early. Patients who have in their past inhaled asbestos, should be screened for mesothelioma.
