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Mesothelioma
Asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma because they irritate the tissue surrounding a number of your internal organs. The cancerous cells then grow.
The most well-known mesothelioma type afflicts the lung's lining (pleura). Other types are less prevalent and affect the lining in the abdomen or around the testicles.
Doctors can diagnose mesothelioma by looking at the tissue or fluid for cancerous cells. They may also request blood tests and imaging tests.
Signs and symptoms
Mesothelioma can affect the linings of different organs. The symptoms vary depending on the area of the tumor like in the peritoneum or pleura (lung lining), for pleural and peritoneal cancers. Fever, fatigue and unexplained loss of weight are common symptoms. Other symptoms of mesothelioma include difficulty breathing and pain.
The first step in diagnosing mesothelioma is a physical examination. Your doctor will ask about your prior exposure to asbestos as well as any other factors that may increase the risk of mesothelioma. This includes the experience in an industry where asbestos usage was widespread, for example manufacturing, shipbuilding, or construction.
Most mesothelioma cases are diagnosed through imaging scans of the chest or abdomen. These include X radiographs, CT scans (computer tomography), and MRIs (magnetic imaging). These tests give doctors to see inside your body and look for mesothelioma or other masses in the lungs or stomach.
X-rays may show an increase in fluid or thickening in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. These are symptoms of pleural cancer. They can also detect any fluid in the abdomen, which is more commonly associated with mesothelioma peritoneal.
Your doctor will request biopsy if mesothelioma tumor is detected. When you undergo a biopsy, your doctor will remove some of the tissue from the tumor to check for mesothelioma cancer cells. A surgeon will either insert a needle into the tumor, or perform the procedure surgically to remove the sample.
In the case of pleural asbestosis doctors drain the the chest cavity by the procedure known as pleurodesis. This involves cutting a small incision in the chest or abdomen and then using a tube to drain fluid. In the latter stages of pleural mesothelioma, patients may experience breathing difficulties due to the buildup of fluid. Your doctor may recommend an indwelling needle aspirator or indwelling cathode to try and reduce the amount of fluid that builds up in your pleura.
In rare cases mesothelioma may spread to other areas of the body. This can cause symptoms like abdominal pain, weight loss and difficulty breathing. These are referred to as metastatic signs because they are present in locations other than the site of the original tumor.
Diagnosis
In the majority of cases, doctors will first conduct a physical exam to evaluate symptoms such as chest pain and coughing. Patients are asked about their exposure to asbestos. Then, they'll conduct imaging tests to search for tumors in the abdomen and lungs. These tests may include X radiations, CT scans or MRIs.
It can be difficult for doctors to recognize mesothelioma accurately due to its rarity. Patients with mesothelioma legal are often mistakenly diagnosed with common diseases such as pneumonia and bronchitis. This can delay treatment, and spread the disease before it is fully diagnosed.
If doctors discover a potential mesothelioma tumor, they will need a sample of tissue or fluid to test. These samples will determine the kind of cancer and if it has spread. Doctors can collect mesothelioma specimens through a biopsy. These can be performed by removing a small amount of tissue by surgery or inserting a needle into the abdomen or chest area to drain the fluid.
The samples will be analyzed to see whether they contain cancerous cells. The type of mesothelioma that the doctor detects will help determine the most effective treatment options.
Doctors may also suggest testing for a tumor to understand how the tumor works. These tests can identify proteins, genes and other specific factors to the tumor.
The doctors also need to know if the tumor has spread. This is known as staging. This helps them describe the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to other organs.
After all test results are in the doctor will go over the results with you. The doctor will also give you a prognosis. It is based on averages of mesothelioma patients who have similar symptoms and staging. Then, they will discuss how the prognosis is likely to change as the tumor expands or shrinks and different treatments are used. If you have questions, ask for a second opinion from another doctor. This is a great way to ensure that you receive the best treatment.
Treatment
Being diagnosed with mesothelioma can be only the beginning of a long road. Treatment options are dependent on a variety of factors, including the type and degree of mesothelioma (how fast it grows). Doctors will also consider the patient's age, general health and any other medical ailments.
It is often difficult to identify mesothelioma as it is a rare disease. The combination of tests, including chest CT scans and Xrays, are often used to confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma. These imaging studies can reveal changes in the lung's lining or abdomen, like pleural thickening and fluid build-up. The blood tests can be done to check for mesothelioma-related high levels.
A biopsy is usually performed when a mesothelioma diagnosis is suspected. This involves inserting a needle in the affected area to remove the tissue sample for testing. A lab will analyze the sample to determine whether it contains cancerous cells.
If a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma pleural, doctors can remove the excess fluid using the procedure known as Thorcentesis. It is also possible to use pleurodesis, a procedure that can stop the accumulation of fluid up in the future. Pleurodesis involves inserting tubes inside the chest to remove fluid. It can be combined with medications to lower the risk that fluid will build up again.
Radiation therapy can be utilized in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery to treat mesothelioma. Doctors can use traditional photon radiation or an advanced method known as intensity-modulated therapy, which focuses the radiation at different angles to decrease the damage to healthy tissue.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells, and it is used prior to or after surgery to make the process more efficient. Patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma may also receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy, which is injected with heat into the abdomen. Some people are eligible to take part in clinical trials for new mesothelioma treatments. They are typically conducted in larger medical facilities, and can yield the most promising outcomes. Mesothelioma can recur, or recur after receiving treatment. If it does, the treatment options will differ based on where the mesothelioma recurred and the treatment that was previously received.
Prognosis
The prognosis for mesothelioma is based on a variety of variables that include the type and stage of cancer, overall health and the age. It is also dependent on the extent to which the mesothelioma has spread and how much the treatment can help them manage their symptoms.
A doctor will use a series of tests to determine the prognosis of a mesothelioma patient, including imaging tests (a CT scan or X-ray), blood tests and the biopsy. A biopsy is the process of removing the mesothelioma case - Get More Information - or other tissue and study it under a microscope in order to check for cancer cells.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the lining of tissues around organs of the body, such as the chest lining, abdominal lining, and tests. It is caused by exposure to asbestos.
A mesothelioma diagnosis can be shocking and trigger feelings of shock, anger, fear or anxiety. It is important to discuss these feelings with a trusted family member mesothelioma group support group or mesothelioma lawyer.
The outlook for mesothelioma patients can be improved if it is identified in its earliest stages. If doctors can eliminate a tumor or a large portion of it, the patient has an increased chance of having an extended life span.
Another factor is how fit a mesothelioma sufferer is. The ones who are more fit level are able to handle more rigorous mesothelioma treatment and have a higher rate of survival. The blood chemical makeup of a person may also influence the outcome of their mesothelioma law. The more normal one's haemoglobin levels and platelet and white blood cell counts are the better their chances of survival.
A mesothelioma that is not yet reached a critical stage may be treated by radiation therapy, chemotherapy or surgery. These treatments can make the cancer cells less likely to multiply and spread. These treatments do not treat cancer. Many mesothelioma patients have outlived their initial prognosis. Some have lived for years or even a decade after their mesothelioma diagnosis. For example the paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould survived his mesothelioma peritoneal for over 20 years. He eventually died of cancer that was not connected to his mesothelioma.