Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer afflicting those, who are well often exposed to asbestos. The inhaled asbestos particles spur cancerous growth in the mesothelium. What adds to the fatality of the disease is that the symptoms take some 20 to 50 years to be manifest!
Classified into three different forms – Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Pleural Mesothelioma and Pericardial Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma continues to be a baffling, mystery disease. Actually, most of the Mesothelioma symptoms (both individually and in tandem) are commonly mistaken with other common diseases like pneumonia, flu, heart disease, bronchitis and others.
The protracted dormancy period during which the disease remains undiagnosed is indeed frustrating for the doctors. When the symptoms ultimately become evident, the condition gets quite complicated. No wonder medical science has been striving to find ways to be better acquainted with the Mesothelioma symptoms and that at a comparatively early stage.
Symptoms Of Mesothelioma
The Mesothelioma symptoms vary from person to person as well as with the severity of the illness. The form of Mesothelioma also determines the symptoms; thus, people afflicted with Peritoneal Mesothelioma exhibit different symptoms from those affected with either Pleural or Pericardial Mesothelioma. Sometimes, the overall health of the person and his/her age also determines the severity of the Mesothelioma symptoms.
In case of Pleural Mesothelioma where the linings of the lungs and the chest cavity are affected, one develops symptoms like breathing problems, persistent coughing and pain in the chest as well as in the lungs. All these arise due to fluid accumulation in the chest area. Actually, the tumor growths in the chest area lead to fluid accumulation, hampering the proper expansion of the lungs and one develops chest pain and difficulty in breathing.
Since the abdominal cavity is affected in Peritoneal Mesothelioma, symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma include severe abdominal pain, anemia, bowel obstruction, nausea, vomiting, etc. Swelling of the abdominal region due to fluid accumulation is also noticed.
People contracting Pericardial Mesothelioma usually complain of acute chest pain since this Mesothelioma form chiefly involves the heart cavity. Patients also develop symptoms like shortness of breath, heart palpitations, persistent coughing, etc.
Of course, Mesothelioma symptoms do overlap at times. Thus, loss of appetite, weight loss, inability to sleep and fatigue are more or less common to all forms of Mesothelioma. People suffering from Mesothelioma usually find their voice becoming hoarse. As the disease spreads to the other parts of the body instead of remaining restricted to the mesothelium, it gives rise to a host of other symptoms like swelling of the neck or face and pain or trouble in swallowing. Fever and exhaustion even after minimal exertion are advanced stage symptoms of Mesothelioma.
One has to be on the watch out constantly and see a medical professional if anything similar to the Mesothelioma symptoms comes to ones notice. Until further Mesothelioma symptoms-related findings come to light, medicos will have to work a bit hard, investigating a patient’s history and trying to link the patient’s past exposure to the asbestos with the symptoms. Of course, there are many advanced tests and treatments available today to help in the proper diagnosis and prognosis.
