Mesothelioma is a rare type of lung cancer. It’s caused almost exclusively by being exposed to asbestos. Although it primarily affects the lungs, it can also affect the heart or the abdomen. Up to 3000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. It comprises about 3% of annual cancer diagnoses. Females are affected by it at a ratio of for someone versus males.
Unfortunately, typical life expectancy for those diagnosed list with mesothelioma is one year or less from the time of diagnosis. however the prognosis of patients is also dependent on other factors including the time of diagnosis and how aggressive and effective form of treatment is. Mesothelioma takes a long time to develop symptomatically. Symptoms typically appear between two and five decades after chronic exposure to asbestos.
if you have a history of exposure to asbestos, please see your doctor. The symptoms of mesothelioma often resemble those associated with other less serious diseases. Getting diagnosed early may have a positive impact on the patient’s life.
Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms
- Raspy or dry cough with little to no phlegm
- Difficulty swallowing
- Coughing up of blood
- Fever or sweating at night
- Inexplicable weight loss of ten percent of more of total body weight
- Fatigue/loss of energy
- Pain in the chest or ribs that doesn’t go away
- Pain when breathing
- Shortness of breath even when resting
- Lumps underneath the skin on the chest
Please visit Mesothelioma at Small Cell Carcinoma for more information.