Mesothelioma cancer affects the lining of internal organs and body cavities-most often the lining around the lungs and heart and the abdominal cavity. To understand how mesothelioma is diagnosed, it's important to recognize how it forms and what effects it has on the body.
How Mesothelioma Develops
Pleural Mesothelioma
The medical community believes that exposure to asbestos is the only way patients get mesothelioma cancer. When people breathe in or swallow asbestos dust and fibers, the material attaches to the mesothelium, a thin tissue that coats the inside of our organs. Over time, the asbestos changes the cells, and those abnormalities lead to cancer. Asbestos was a popular insulating material for most of the last century because it was cheap and effective. People in industries like construction, ship and aircraft building, automotive, railroad and other fields were exposed to asbestos every day-unaware of the damage it could do.
Receiving a Diagnosis
Unlike cancers of the breast or colon, there are no quick and easy tests for mesothelioma. That's unfortunate since it's much less deadly when diagnosed early. Symptoms differ by type of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs and is the most common form of the disease, results in chest pain, tiredness, shortness of breath, lower back pain and problems swallowing. Most of these symptoms are caused by pleural effusion, in which fluid accumulates in and around the lungs. Other types of mesothelioma cause symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and weight loss.
Since mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer-and the time between exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma can span decades-many doctors mistake symptoms of the disease for more common ailments. But when mesothelioma is suspected, the first step is typically a CT scan or MRI. If questionable results are found, a biopsy is performed. A needle biopsy collects a small amount of tissue and is less invasive; an open biopsy collects a larger tissue sample and may deliver a more accurate diagnosis. If mesothelioma is confirmed, the patient usually undergoes additional scans to determine if and where the disease may have spread.
After Diagnosis
A mesothelioma diagnosis is particularly devastating because, though there are treatments that prolong life, the disease is generally considered incurable. Your doctor will formulate a treatment plan that may consist of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery or a combination of these treatments. Your prognosis and the treatment regimen are based on factors like your age, overall health and the kind of mesothelioma you have. It's during this period that some patients contact an attorney to help them pursue a monetary settlement from the people and/or company responsible for their asbestos exposure. This settlement can go a long way toward paying hospital bills, compensating for lost income and ensuring the financial stability of the family left behind.
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Physicians throughout the United States are learning more about how asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma cancer, including pleural mesothelioma, every day. If you would like to learn more about your mesothelioma diagnosis-or if you suspect that you may have undiagnosed mesothelioma-talk to a qualified oncologist.