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Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a condition that occurs when asbestos fibers irritate the tissues that surround many of your organs. The cancerous cells then grow.

The lining of the lung (pleura) is the most common site of mesothelioma claims. Other types are less well-known and affect the lining in the abdomen or around the testicles.

Doctors diagnose mesothelioma by examining samples of tissue or fluid for cancerous cells. They may also order blood tests and imaging tests.

Signs and symptoms

Mesothelioma affects the organ lining throughout the body. The symptoms differ based on the site of the tumor, for example, in the pleura or peritoneum (lung lining), for pleural and peritoneal cancers. The general symptoms are fever, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. Mesothelioma symptoms may also include pain and difficulty breathing.

The first step to diagnose mesothelioma is a physical examination. Your doctor will inquire about your past exposure to asbestos as well as other factors that could increase your likelihood of developing mesothelioma. This includes a past history of asbestos exposure, such as in the construction, shipbuilding or manufacturing industries.

The majority of the time, mesothelioma is diagnosed through images of the chest or abdomen. These include X radiographs, CT scans (computer tomography), and MRIs (magnetic imaging). These tests allow doctors to look at the inside of your body and look for mesothelioma, or other lumps in the stomach or lung.

X-rays can show the presence of fluid or a thickening in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. These are signs of the pleural cancer. They will also detect any fluid in the abdominal cavity, which is most often linked to peritoneal msothelioma.

Your doctor will recommend an examination for mesothelioma if a tumor is found. A biopsy is when your doctor will take a tiny amount of tissue to test for mesothelioma. A surgeon will inject a needle or perform a surgical procedure to remove the specimen.

In the case of pleural asbestosis, doctors drain the the chest cavity with the procedure known as pleurodesis. This involves making a small cut in the chest or abdomen, and then using tubes to drain the fluid. In the later stages of pleural mesothelioma, patients may experience breathing difficulties due to the buildup of fluid. Your doctor may recommend an indwelling needle aspirator or an indwelling cathode to manage the buildup of fluid in your pleura.

In rare instances, mesothelioma spreads to other areas of the body and causes symptoms such as abdominal pain weight loss and trouble breathing. These are known as metastatic signs, since they occur outside of the tumor that caused them.

Diagnosis

In the majority of instances, doctors will first look at symptoms like coughing and chest pains with an examination. Patients will be asked about their exposure to asbestos. They will then conduct imaging tests to search for signs of tumors in the lungs and abdomen. These tests could include X radiations, CT scans or MRIs.

Because mesothelioma is so rare it can be difficult for doctors to identify it accurately. Patients with mesothelioma are often misdiagnosed for common diseases like bronchitis and pneumonia. This could delay treatment and lead to the disease to spread before it is properly diagnosed.

If doctors discover a potential mesothelioma cancer, they'll need a sample of tissue or fluid for testing. These samples will confirm the nature of the cancer and if it has spread. Doctors can collect mesothelioma samples via biopsy. This can be accomplished by removing a small amount of tissue by surgery or inserting a needle in the abdominal or chest region to remove fluid.

The samples will be examined for cancer cells. The type of mesothelioma that the doctor detects will help determine the best treatment options.

Doctors may also recommend testing for the tumor to determine how the tumor operates. These tests can help identify specific proteins, genes or other factors that are unique to the tumor.

Finally, doctors will want to know whether the tumor has spread, which is called staging. This will help them determine the size of the tumor and if it has expanded to other organs.

Once all test results are available, the doctor will discuss them with you. They will also give you an estimate of your prognosis. This is based on the averages of mesothelioma patients who have similar symptoms and staging. They will also explain how the prognosis could alter as the tumor grows, shrinks, or other treatments are employed. Ask for a second doctor's opinion should you have any questions. This is an excellent way to ensure you get the best treatment.

Treatment

Being diagnosed with mesothelioma can be just the beginning of a long journey. Treatment options are dependent on many factors including the type and grade of mesothelioma (how fast it grows). Doctors will also consider the person's age, general health and any other medical issues.

It is often difficult to identify mesothelioma as it is a rare disease. The combination of tests, like chest CT scans and X-rays, are often used to confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma. These imaging studies can reveal changes in the lung lining or abdomen, for instance pleural thickening and fluid build-up. The blood tests can also be conducted to check for elevated levels of specific proteins that are associated with mesothelioma.

A biopsy is generally done when a mesothelioma diagnosis is suspected. It involves inserting a needle into the affected area to remove a small sample of tissue to be tested. A lab will examine the sample to determine if it is contaminated with cancerous cells.

Doctors can drain excess fluid from patients with pleural mesothelioma through a procedure known as the thoracentesis. They can also use pleurodesis, a procedure that helps prevent fluid buildup in the future. Pleurodesis works by placing a tube inside the chest to aid in draining the fluid. It can also be combined with medication to lower the likelihood of fluid building up again.

Radiation therapy is a different treatment for mesothelioma, and it can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with chemotherapy or surgery. Doctors can opt for traditional photon radiation, or a new method known as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, which focuses the radiation at different angles to reduce the damage to healthy tissues.

It can be used to make surgery easier by using drugs to destroy cancerous cells. Patients suffering from peritoneal msothelioma could also receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy, which is heated and injected into the abdomen. Clinical trials of new mesothelioma treatments are open to a few people. These are usually done in larger medical centers, and can yield the most promising results. mesothelioma lawsuit may recur, or recur after receiving treatment. The treatment options vary depending on the location of the recurrence and the previous treatments.

Prognosis

In general the prognosis of a mesothelioma patient is based on the type of cancer they have the stage at the time they were diagnosed, their overall health and age. It is also dependent on how far the mesothelioma spreads and how much the treatment will help in controlling symptoms.

A doctor will perform a series of tests to determine the outlook of mesothelioma patients, which include imaging tests (a CT scan or X-ray) as well as blood tests and the biopsy. A biopsy is when a doctor removes a small sample of mesothelioma or other tissue and study it under a microscope to look for cancer cells.

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that affects the lining of tissues surrounding organs of the body, like the abdominal lining, the chest lining and tests. It is caused by asbestos exposure.

A diagnosis of mesothelioma can be shocking and can trigger feelings of shock, anger, fear or anxiety. It is essential to discuss these feelings with a trusted loved one, mesothelioma support group or mesothelioma lawyer.

The outlook for mesothelioma is likely to be improved if the condition is discovered in its early stages. If doctors can remove a tumor or a large part of it, the patient will have a better chance at living longer.

Fitness is a different factor. The level of fitness is linked to better survival rates for mesothelioma patients. The blood chemical makeup of a person may influence their mesothelioma outcomes. The more normal a person's haemoglobin levels, platelet and white blood cells counts are more likely to be a good prognosis.

Mesothelioma is treatable if it is not in the point of critical. This can be done through chemo, radiation therapy, or surgery. These treatments can reduce the chance of cancer cells spreading and growing. However, these treatments can not cure cancer. Many mesothelioma case patients have lived beyond their initial prognosis. Some have lived years or even a decade after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. For instance the paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould survived his mesothelioma peritoneal for over 20 years. However, he passed away from cancer not linked to his mesothelioma.