The symptoms of mesothelioma

Generally the early mesothelioma symptoms are non-specific. It can’t be identifying at the beginning. It may also lead to a delay in diagnosis.

The general symptom of mesothelioma is weight loss. The other symptoms are chest wall pain or shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the chest wall and the lung). The diagnosis may be suspected with CT scan and chest X-ray. It is confirmed with a microscopic examination and a biopsy (tissue sample). A thoracoscopy (put in a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It concedes the introduction of substances such as talc to destroy the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with radiation therapy, chemotherapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Some research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is being conducted by the researches at present.

An ache due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity), cachexia and weight loss and abdominal protuberance are the common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma. Others are fever, anemia, blood clotting abnormalities, and bowel obstruction. A trouble swallowing or swelling of the neck or face and pain are the symptoms, if the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

• Fatigue or anemia
• Shortness of breath
• Chest wall pain
• Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)
• Fluid surrounding the lung or Pleural effusion

In critical cases, the patients may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body. Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:

• A mass in the abdomen
• An abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen or ascites
• Abdominal pain
• Weight loss
• Problems with bowel function

In severe cases of the Mesothelioma, the bellow signs and symptoms may be present:

• Yellowing of the eyes and skin, or jaundice
• Pleural effusion
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
• Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
• Low blood sugar level
• Severe ascites
• Blood clots in the arteries of the lungs or pulmonary emboli