Posts Tagged ‘mesothelioma diagnosis’

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

The common symptoms of mesothelioma are chest pain, shortness of breath, and a persistent cough. Yet, there are patients who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma that did not show any symptoms at all.

Other symptoms of mesothelioma are weight loss, bowel obstruction, abdominal pain and swelling, swelling of the neck or face, trouble swallowing, anemia, blood clotting problems, fever, and pleural effusion (water in the lungs).

The biggest problem is that mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose and a mesothelioma prognosisĀ  hard to make. First, there are similar symptoms of less serious diseases that can add to the confusion. And second, it remains latent in the body for up to fifty years and it is usually not found until it is too late.

To be more accurate in the mesothelioma diagnosis, the doctor or researcher will compile the patient’s complete work and medical history to try to exactly pin point where the exposure to asbestos took place. Medical tests and examinations are performed including MRI and CT scans, as well as x-rays. There are biopsy procedures to test for the presence of cancer cells.

From the results then a mesothelioma treatment procedure will be drawn up to match the best options for the patient’s well being.

Mesothelioma Resource Causes

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

The cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure.

When working directly with asbestos or from handling and working with materials containing asbestos, many a mesothelioma resource, or source, has pointed out that asbestos exposure is the cause of up to 90% of asbestos related cancer, mesothelioma.

A naturally-occurring fibrous substance, asbestos has been widely used in many different industries because of its insulating properties, fire resistance, and durability. Until warnings of asbestos contamination were issued in the mid-1970s, thousands and thousands of different products had been manufactured with asbestos.

The way asbestos causes mesothelioma is still being debated by doctors and researches but the conclusive conclusion is that any exposure to asbestos is dangerous and can result in asbestos disease mesothelioma.

Instances of people that may have been in contact with asbestos are shipyard workers, insulation engineers, building workers, and maintenance workers. But people working in other industries could have also been exposed to asbestos and not recall being exposed to it, or not even know, and find that they have asbestos lung mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma can also affect persons who have been in contact with asbestos from living near asbestos factories or just from washing contaminated materials, like clothes.

If you have been in contact with asbestos then you could be affected by sarcomatoid mesothelioma or pleural mesothelioma or epithelioid mesothelioma or pericardial mesothelioma. Or, if you think you have asbestos related cancer or an asbestos related disease you should consider a mesothelioma diagnosis to ensure you do not have asbestos cancer.