Mesothelioma
Asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma when they irritate tissue surrounding many of your internal organs. The cancerous cells will then develop.
The most prevalent mesothelioma type affects the lining of the lungs (pleura). Other types are less prevalent and affect the lining in the abdomen or around the testicles.
Doctors diagnose mesothelioma after examining a tissue or fluid sample for cancerous cells. They can also order blood tests and imaging tests.
Symptoms
Mesothelioma can affect the linings of different organs. Symptoms vary depending on where the tumor develops in the pleura (lung liner) for pleural mesothelioma, or the peritoneum for peritoneal mesothelioma. Fever, fatigue and unexplained weight loss are common symptoms. springfield mesothelioma lawyer of mesothelioma are difficulty breathing and pain.
A physical exam is the first step towards diagnosing mesothelioma. Your doctor will ask you about your past exposure to asbestos as well as other factors that could increase the risk of developing mesothelioma. This includes your history of working in an industry where asbestos usage was common, like construction, shipbuilding or manufacturing.
Most mesothelioma cases are diagnosed through imaging scans of the abdomen or chest. These include X-rays, CT (computer tomography) scans and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). These tests allow doctors to view the inside of your body and look for mesothelioma and other tumors in the stomach or lung.
X-rays can reveal an increase in the Pleura or a buildup of fluid in the lung space and chest wall, which are common symptoms of mesothelioma of the pleura. They will also detect any fluid in the abdominal cavity, which is most often linked to peritoneal msothelioma.
If a mesothelioma tumor is discovered and your doctor orders an examination. During a biopsy your doctor will remove a tiny amount of tissue to test for mesothelioma. A surgeon will insert a needle or perform a surgical operation to remove the sample.
For mesothelioma pleural, doctors will drain the mesothelioma within the chest cavity through pleurodesis, a procedure. This involves making a small cut on the abdomen or chest and then using a tube to drain the fluid. In the final stages of pleural mesothelioma patients often have trouble breathing due to the buildup of fluid. Your doctor may attempt to stop the buildup of fluid in your pleura by insertion of an indwelling catheter or ultrasound-guided needle aspiration.
In rare cases mesothelioma may spread to other areas of the body, causing symptoms like abdominal pain, weight loss and difficulty breathing. These are known as metastatic symptoms, because they occur outside of the tumor that caused them.
Diagnosis
In the majority of instances, doctors will first look at symptoms like coughing and chest pain by doing an examination. They will also ask patients about any history of asbestos exposure. They will then order imaging tests to detect tumors on the lungs and abdomen. These tests could include X rays, CT scans or MRIs.
It can be difficult for doctors to diagnose mesothelioma correctly due to its rarity. Mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed as more common diseases such as bronchitis or pneumonia. This can delay treatment and cause the disease to spread before it is properly diagnosed.
When doctors discover a possible mesothelioma tumor, they will require a sample of the tissue or fluid for testing. These samples will allow them to confirm the mesothelioma type and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. The biopsy is one method doctors can collect mesothelioma samples. These can be performed by removing a small amount of tissue by surgery or inserting a needle into the abdomen or chest area to drain the fluid.
The samples will be examined for cancerous cells. The type of mesothelioma the doctor finds will help determine the most effective treatment options.
Doctors may also recommend testing for an area of tumor to better understand how the tumor operates. These tests can identify specific proteins, genes, or other factors that are unique to the tumor.
Doctors will also want to know if the tumor has spread by staging. This lets them determine the size of a tumor and whether it has spread.
When all of the tests are completed the doctor will go over them with you. They will also provide you with an estimate of your prognosis. It is based on the averages of other mesothelioma sufferers with similar symptoms and stages. Then, they will explain how the prognosis will change as the tumor grows or shrinks, and what other treatments are utilized. Request a second doctor's opinion in case you have concerns. This is a great way to ensure that you receive the best treatment.
Treatment
The journey to a mesothelioma diagnosis not over once you are diagnosed. The treatment options will depend on many aspects, including the type of mesothelioma as well as its grade (how quickly it expands). Doctors can also take into consideration the general health of a person as well as age and other medical conditions.
Mesothelioma is a rare condition and can be difficult for healthcare professionals to identify. A combination of tests is often used to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis including chest X-rays and CT scans. These imaging studies can reveal changes in the linings of the lungs and abdomen, like thickening of the pleura or accumulation of fluid. Blood tests can be performed to check for high levels associated with mesothelioma.
A biopsy is usually done after a mesothelioma is suspected. This involves inserting a needle into the affected area to remove tiny pieces of tissue to be tested. A laboratory will analyze the tissue to determine if it is contaminated with cancerous cells.
Doctors can remove excess fluid from patients with pleural mesothelioma using a procedure called the thoracentesis. They can also use pleurodesis which can help prevent the buildup of fluid in the future. Pleurodesis is performed by inserting a tube into the chest to help drain the fluid. It can also be combined with medications to decrease the chance of fluid building up again.
Radiation therapy can be utilized in conjunction with surgery or chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma. Doctors can opt for traditional photon radiation, or a new method called intensity-modulated radiation therapy, which delivers radiation at different angles to reduce the damage to healthy tissue.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancerous cells. It is used prior to or after surgery to make the process simpler. Patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma may also receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy which is heated and injected into the abdomen. Some patients are eligible to participate in clinical trials for new mesothelioma therapies. They are usually conducted at larger medical centers and may yield the most promising results. Even after treatment, mesothelioma can occur again. If it does, treatment options will differ based on the area where mesothelioma recurred and the prior treatments received.
Prognosis
The prognosis for mesothelioma is based on a number of factors such as the stage and type of cancer, overall health and age. It is also dependent on the size of mesothelioma and how well treatment will reduce the symptoms.
A doctor will perform several tests to determine the prognosis for mesothelioma patients. These tests include imaging tests (a CT scan or X-ray) as well as blood tests and the biopsy. A biopsy is when doctors remove an insignificant amount of mesothelioma tumor or tissue and examine it under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that affects the lining of tissues surrounding organs in the body, such as the chest lining, abdominal lining and testes. It is caused by exposure to asbestos.
A mesothelioma diagnosis may be shocking and cause feelings of anger, shock, fear or anxiety. Discussing these emotions with a trusted family member, mesothelioma organization or a lawyer is crucial.
A timely diagnosis of mesothelioma could improve the prognosis. If doctors can remove the tumor, or a significant portion of it, patients have an increased chance of living a longer life.
Another aspect is how fit a mesothelioma victim is. Fitness levels are associated with better survival rates for mesothelioma patients. The blood chemistry of a person can influence their mesothelioma outcomes. The better the prognosis of a patient, the more normal their haemoglobin as well as white blood cell counts are.
A mesothelioma which has not yet reached a critical stage may be treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery. These treatments can lower the chance of cancer cells spreading and growing. The treatments don't eliminate cancer. Many patients with mesothelioma have outlived their initial prognosis. Some have lived for years, or even a decade or more after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. For example the paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould survived his mesothelioma peritoneal for over 20 years. However, he eventually died from cancer not linked to mesothelioma.