Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose because the signs and early symptoms of this disease can be subtle or mistaken. Symptoms that are too often overlooked or dismissed by people who tend to attribute them to common diseases every day. Sometimes patients live with symptoms up to 6 months before being diagnosed but usually the symptoms are present for two to three months before the diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Approximately 60% of patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma experience lower back pain or side chest pain and there are frequent reports of shortness of breath. A lower number of people may have difficulty swallowing, or persistent cough, fever, weight loss or fatigue. Additional symptoms that some patients experience muscle weakness, loss of sensory abilities, coughing up blood, facial and arm swelling and hoarseness.

Peritoneal mesothelioma originating in the stomach and as a result, symptoms often includes abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. In the event that there is a hernia present, fluid buildup can occur in the stomach as well.

Exposure to asbestos is considered a major risk factor for the development of cancer. Anyone who previously exposed to asbestos displays any of these symptoms should seek medical attention from a doctor who specializes in the treatment and diagnosis of mesothelioma and thoracic oncology.

Causes of Mesothelioma

Major risk factor for mesothelioma worked with asbestos. Asbestos is a group of minerals with thin microscopic fibers. Because these fibers are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity, asbestos has been mined and used extensively in the construction, automotive, and other industries.

If tiny asbestos fibers are released into the air, as they were in the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, causing serious health problems. As many as 70% to 80% of mesothelioma cases can be linked to exposure to asbestos in the workplace.

There is also some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases may be more. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. Cases of mesothelioma have also been seen in people living near asbestos mines.

However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Other causes, rare, but may include:

Zeolite. These mineral chemicals associated with asbestos. One of the associated mineral, erionite, are common in some areas of land in Turkey, according to the American Cancer Society. Erionite exposure is believed to be responsible for the high rate of mesothelioma in the area.

Radiation: The American Cancer Society notes that there have been several published reports of mesotheliomas that developed following exposure to high dose radiation to the chest or abdomen or after injection of thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), the materials used by doctors in some chest X-rays up to 1950 - 's.

SV40 virus. Several studies in laboratory animals have raised the possibility that simian virus infection 40 (SV40) may increase the risk of developing mesothelioma, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Some injectable polio vaccines given between 1955 and 1963 have been contaminated with SV40, showing as many as 30 million people in the United States for the virus. So far, most studies addressing this issue in humans have not found an increased risk of mesothelioma or other cancers among people who received contaminated vaccine as children.

Genetics. Some experts believe certain people may be genetically predisposed to mesothelioma. Disease rates vary among populations.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Below is a list of symptoms that patients may experience mesothelioma. Please click on symptoms to learn more about it.

Anemia

Mesothelioma patients diagnosed with anemia had lower than normal count of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood which can lead to fatigue and, if untreated, results in a loss of bone marrow.

Blood clotting disorder

A phenomenon experienced by many mesothelioma patients that can lead to anemia and other serious complications if not given proper medical attention.

Bowel obstruction

Painful symptoms that can sometimes develop in patient’s peritoneal mesothelioma due to accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.

Chest Pain

Often experienced in pleural mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma patients, chest pain may develop as the tumor grows and puts pressure on the lungs and heart.

Dysphagia

Pleural mesothelioma patients often develop difficulty in swallowing (esophageal dyphagia) as the mesothelium continues to grow in the lungs.

Effusion fluid

An effusion may occur in patients when there is a buildup of fluid mesothelioma affects the pleura or pericardium either.

Hemoptysis

Hemoptysis, or coughing up blood symptoms, may have its origins in the lungs, bronchi or trachea mesothelioma patients.

Nausea

Nausea experienced in a number of cancer patients as they are often a side effect of chemotherapy treatment. Those diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma may also experience nausea due to increased abdominal pressure.

Peritoneal effusion

Peritoneal mesothelioma patients may experience a buildup of fluid in the peritoneal tumor continued to grow. This can result in effusions that can inhibit the function of the abdominal organs.

Pleural effusion

In patients with pleural mesothelioma, pleural effusion may develop when there is a large amount of fluid is present in the pleura, the lining between the lungs and chest cavity.

Weight Loss

Weight loss may occur in patients with mesothelioma as a side effect of cancer treatment or as a result of other symptoms may also be present such as difficulty swallowing or nausea.

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma

Symptoms associated with pleural mesothelioma may be similar to other conditions that affect the lungs or chest. Pleural effusion, complications of disease, is an accumulation of fluid in the chest. It may cause difficulty breathing.