Saturday, February 5, 2011

The Necessity Of Recognizing Mesothelioma Symptoms And Signs In A Timely Manner

By Tom Addison


Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancerous tumor that grows on the mesothelium, a layer of cells that cushion the internal organs. Mesothelioma symptoms can be hard to spot - even doctors may miss them, unless they are aware that their patient has a history of asbestos exposure, which is the one recognized cause of this type of malignancy. The most common type of the disease involves tumors that occur in the cells lining the lungs.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma for people with pleural mesothelioma include a dull ache under the ribs, coughing with soreness in the chest, becoming short of air even if you aren't up and moving around, and masses of tissue that occur directly under the skin of the chest. One other common symptom is losing weight for no apparent reason.

Peritoneal malignancy is the second most common type of the disease. It affects the lining of the abdominal cavity. Peritoneal symptoms include swelling and pain in the abdomen, lumps directly under the skin of the abdomen, and unexplained weight loss.

Most people don't recognize the warning signs of this rare type of cancer and explain them away with other, more common, ailments. By the time the cancer is detected, it has often spread, making it very difficult to treat. Due to late diagnosis, only about ten percent of people with mesothelioma are still alive five years after diagnosis. The average prognosis for people with this disease is slightly less than a year.

If you have been exposed to asbestos in any way--either on the job or perhaps by handling the clothing of someone who worked with asbestos--and you develop symptoms of mesothelioma, see your doctor as soon as possible.

When you see your doctor, tell him or her about your history of asbestos exposure and describe any Mesothelioma symptoms you may be having.




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