Mesothelioma, a malevolent cancer affecting the protective sac covering our internal organs, is usually caused by continued exposure to asbestos filled atmosphere. The particles of this substance enter our body through the lungs and gets deposited in this membrane and caused abnormal cancerous growth. Unfortunately, in most cases, symptoms of mesothelioma rear its head only many years later, sometimes fifty years, making treatment a prolonged uphill battle.
It is advisable for people who have had constant exposure to asbestos to visit an expert doctor the very first day the symptoms appear. Mesothelioma is basically of three types – the pleural, pericardial and peritoneal. Testicular mesothelioma is another category which exists, though found rarely. There is only one way to defeat the disease, ie early detection and treatment. The symptoms of the disease are wide and varied.
Continued dry or raspy non-productive cough, coughing up blood, dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing, fever, night sweat, heavy weigh loss, fatigue, persistent pain in the areas around ribs or chest, pain while breathing, dyspnea or shortness of breath even while resting and formation of visible lumps under the skin around the chest are the most common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. This type of cancer is the most common of all the four types and therefore, responsible for most deaths.
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Night sweats, anemia, fatigue, fever, weight loss for no apparent reason, constipation or diarrhea, inflammation in the abdomen, vomiting, formation of bumps under the skin in the abdominal region are the most common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma.
Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for fewer deaths compared to other types of mesothelioma cancer. It is responsible for less than five percent of the total incidents of cancer. But it is more life threatening and as such dangerous. The chances of survival are very less once affected with this type of cancer. The primary symptoms are irregular heartbeats, breathing difficulty, fever, tiredness, night sweats, chest pain etc. The symptoms of mesothelioma here are not so developed unlike the other types. Formation of testicular lumps is the main symptom of testicular mesothelioma. This is a fourth type of mesothelioma cancer, though not found commonly.
Mail this postPeritoneal Mesothelioma affects the lining of abdominal cavity and accounts to about one-fifth of all reported cases of mesothelioma cancer. It is more common in men than women and mostly caused by exposure to asbestos. The symptoms start showing only after twenty to thirty years after such exposure and can assume life-threatening proportions if not treated immediately. Effective diagnosis of the disease can be made by a tissue biopsy, but other methods like CT scan may yield confusing results.
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are formation of lumps in abdomen, pain in abdomen, fatigue, fever, collection of fluid in the abdomen, weight loss, lack of proper functioning of digestive system, anemia etc. Before the symptoms of the cancer appear, some patients may experience uneasy feelings. It may also happen that peritoneal mesothelioma is diagnosed while the affected person goes for a check up related to some other health issues like pelvic mass, gall bladder, hernia etc.
It is possible to identify the various stages of this cancer in the lymph nodes, tumor and metastases system (TNM), used to determine general cancers. Localized abrasions are visible in the first level and they can be removed easily. Strong therapies are used in the second stage to cure the disease which affects the abdominal cavity on peritoneal and organ surfaces. The infection stays within the abdominal cavity in the third stage, but spreads inside important organs like liver and colon. In the fourth stage, it spreads to the adjacent areas from the abdominal cavity.
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Aggressive medication and other therapies have been found to be successful in many Peritoneal Mesothelioma cases. Debulking surgery to remove the entire visible tumor combined with Intra-Peritoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC), intraperitoneal chemotherapy and radiation is the most common multimodality treatment followed by doctors. The process is often lengthy and may be frustrating to both the patients and their near and dear ones. Since chemotherapy and other medications involve several side effects, proper intake of vital minerals and nutrients is essential to help the body cope with them.
The age, physical health conditions etc of the patient are also factors that determines the level of success. Timely checkup and aggressive treatment are essential to detect and cure the malady at the outset itself.
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