Mesothelioma Symptoms
Mesothelioma symptoms may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma, cancer of the mesothelium, is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize,
spread from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum. Depending on what type of mesothelioma cancer is involved, how advanced it is, and other factors,
determine what life expectancy is and the associated mesothelioma symptoms.
Symptoms
of Mesothelioma The first symptoms of pleural mesothelioma cancer may be chest pain or shortness of breath; some people may also be hoarse or have difficulty swallowing, or coughing up blood. Also, more than half of the patients with pleural mesothelioma cancer have lower back pain or pain at the side of the chest.
Usually, the first symptom of peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is abdominal pain or swelling, which may look like weight gain around the waist. Because the first signs of the disease are-often flu-like symptoms, many people are either diagnosed accidentally, when a tumor is discovered in the process of diagnosing unrelated symptoms, or are not diagnosed at all until the cancer is so advanced that it causes abdominal swelling. Other symptoms are weight loss, nausea, lack of appetite, and weakness. Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.
The malignant variety is almost always associated with prior exposure to
asbestos. Another condition associated with asbestos is asbestosis,
which s is a breathing disorder caused by inhaling high levels of the asbestos
fibers. Mesothelioma cancer is an aggressive and invasive form of cancer, and it quickly spreads over the surface of the lungs, abdominal organs or
heart, therefore it is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Mesothelioma
Symptoms to M
Recommended
Book - Malignant
Mesothelioma
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