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Mesothelioma

Asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma because they cause irritation to the tissue around many of your internal organs. The cancerous cells grow.

The most prevalent mesothelioma type afflicts the lining of the lungs (pleura). Other types are less common and affect the lining in the abdomen or around the testicles.

Doctors diagnose mesothelioma after examining a tissue or fluid sample for cancerous cells. They may also order blood tests and imaging tests.

Signs and symptoms

Mesothelioma affects the lining of organs throughout the body. The symptoms can vary based on the area of the tumor for example, in the peritoneum or pleura (lung lining), for pleural and peritoneal cancers. Fever, fatigue and unexplained loss of weight are common symptoms. Mesothelioma symptoms may also include pain and trouble breathing.

Physical examinations are the first step to diagnosing mesothelioma. Your doctor will inquire about any past asbestos exposure and other factors that may increase your risk of developing mesothelioma. This includes the background of working in an industry where asbestos exposure was prevalent, such as construction, shipbuilding or manufacturing.

The majority of mesothelioma cases are identified by imaging scans of the abdomen or chest. These include X-rays, CT (computer tomography) scans and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). These tests allow doctors to view the inside of your body and check for mesothelioma or other masses in the lung or stomach.

X-rays will show an increase in the pleura or the accumulation of fluid in the lung space and chest wall, which are both common symptoms of mesothelioma pleural. There is also a possibility of fluid in the abdominal cavity, which is commonly associated with peritoneal msothelioma.

If a mesothelioma-like mass is discovered the doctor will request an examination. A biopsy is when your doctor will take a small amount of tissue in order to check for mesothelioma. A surgeon will insert a needle or perform a surgical procedure to extract the specimen.

For pleural mesothelioma, doctors drain the fluid within the chest cavity through a procedure called pleurodesis. This involves cutting a small incision within the abdomen or chest, and then using tubes to drain the fluid. In the latter stages of pleural mesothelioma patients are often unable to breathe because of fluid buildup. Your doctor may try to reduce the amount of fluid in your pleura by inserting an indwelling catheter or with ultrasound-guided needle aspiration.

In rare cases, mesothelioma spreads to other areas of the body. This can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain weight loss, difficulty breathing. These are referred to as metastatic symptoms because they can occur in different places than the region of your original tumor.

Diagnosis

In most cases, doctors will first conduct a physical examination to evaluate symptoms such as chest discomfort and coughing. Patients will be asked about asbestos exposure. Then, they will request imaging tests to look for signs of tumors in the lungs and abdomen. These tests can include X rays, CT scans or MRIs.

It can be difficult for doctors to diagnose mesothelioma properly due to its rarity. Patients with mesothelioma are often misdiagnosed for common diseases like bronchitis or pneumonia. This can delay treatment and can cause the disease to spread before it is detected.

Once doctors find a possible mesothelioma tumor, they will need to take a sample of fluid or tissue for testing. These samples will allow them to determine the type of mesothelioma and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. The biopsy is a method by which doctors can collect mesothelioma samples. This can be accomplished by removing a tiny amount of tissue through surgery or inserting an needle into the abdomen or chest area to drain the fluid.

The samples will be examined to determine if they contain cancer cells. The type of mesothelioma that the doctor detects will help determine the most effective treatment options.

Doctors can also recommend lab tests on a tumor to understand how the tumor works. These tests can identify genes, proteins and other specific factors to the tumor.

The doctors will also want to know if the tumor has spread. This is called staging. This allows them to determine the size of a tumor and whether it has spread.

After all test results are available the doctor will go over the results with you. You will also be given an estimate of your prognosis. It is based on averages of other mesothelioma patients with similar symptoms and staging. Then, they will discuss how the prognosis will change as the tumor expands or shrinks and different treatments are used. If you have questions then seek an opinion from another doctor. This is a great way to ensure that you receive the best treatment.

Treatment

The road to a mesothelioma diagnosis is not over once you are diagnosed. The treatment options will depend on a variety of factors, including the type of mesothelioma and its grade (how quickly it expands). Doctors also take into consideration the person's age, general health and other medical conditions.

Mesothelioma is a rare disease that can be difficult for healthcare providers to identify. A combination of tests are often used to confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma including chest X-rays and CT scans. These imaging studies can show changes in the lung's lining or abdomen, for instance the thickening of the pleura and the accumulation of fluid. Blood tests are also performed to look for high levels of specific proteins that are associated with mesothelioma.

A biopsy is usually performed when mesothelioma is suspected. A biopsy is carried out by inserting a needle into the area affected and then removing a small amount of tissue to be examined. The sample will be analyzed in a lab to determine if it has any cancerous cells.

If a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma pleural, doctors can drain the excess fluid with the procedure known as Thorcentesis. They can also use pleurodesis, which helps prevent fluid buildup in the future. Pleurodesis involves placing tubes inside the chest to remove fluid. It is often combined with medications to decrease the chance that fluid will build up again.

Radiation therapy can be utilized in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery to treat mesothelioma. Doctors can use either conventional photon radiation, or a more advanced technique known as intensity-modulated radiotherapy. This sends the radiation in different angles to reduce healthy tissue damage.

It can be used to aid in surgery by using drugs to eliminate cancerous cells. Patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma may also receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy which is heated and injected into the abdomen. Clinical trials of new treatments for mesothelioma are open to certain people. These are usually done in larger medical facilities, and could yield the most promising outcomes. Mesothelioma can recur or return, even after treatment. If it does, treatment options will vary depending on where the mesothelioma recurred and the prior treatments received.

Prognosis

In general the mesothelioma prognosis of a patient is based on the type of cancer they suffer from the stage at which they were diagnosed, as well as their overall health and their age. It also depends on the extent of mesothelioma law firms and how well the treatment can control the symptoms.

A doctor will conduct several tests to determine the outlook of mesothelioma patients. These tests include imaging tests (a CT scan or X-ray) as well as blood tests, and the biopsy. A biopsy is when doctors collect small amounts of the mesothelioma tissue or tumor and examine it using a magnifying glass to look for cancer cells.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the lining of tissues around organs in the body like the chest lining, abdominal lining, and the testes. It is caused by exposure to asbestos.

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

The outlook for mesothelioma is likely to be improved if the disease is identified in its earliest stages. If doctors can eliminate the tumor, or at least a large portion of it, the patient has greater chance of a longer lifespan.

Another factor is how fit a mesothelioma victim is. The level of fitness is linked to higher survival rates for mesothelioma patients. The blood chemical makeup of a person may also affect their mesothelioma outcome. The more normal one's haemoglobin levels as well as platelet and white blood cells counts are more likely to be a good prognosis.

A mesothelioma which has not yet reached a critical stage may be treated by radiation therapy, chemotherapy or surgery. These treatments can make cancer cells less likely to multiply and spread. These treatments do not eliminate cancer. Many mesothelioma patients have lived beyond their initial prognosis. Some have lived for years or even a decade after being diagnosed with mesothelioma. Stephen Jay Gould, a paleontologist, survived peritoneal msothelioma 20 years ago. However, he eventually died from cancer that was not related to his mesothelioma.