When the disease is first diagnosed mesothelioma is just a very mild form
of cancer. Even though this form of cancer does not affect the lung or other
vital organs there is still a great risk of death. The particular problem with
mesothelioma is that this type of cancer is very difficult to diagnose in the
early stages. Even in the later stages it is impossible to accurately determine
whether or not the person has the disease.
The symptoms can vary in character and level of severity from person to
person, as is the case with all other forms of cancer. However it is common
knowledge that most people who have had a bout with this disease will have at
least a few of these symptoms. The first set of symptoms is usually chest pain
with or without difficulty breathing and then weight loss.
Mesotheliomas are not limited to any gender. Men and women of all ages can
contract this kind of cancer. The symptoms for males of mesothelioma that will
show themselves first are a persistent pain in the chest with difficulty
breathing or in some cases no breathing at all. Also it is a condition in which
there is a persistent cough.
Women who have been diagnosed with this type of cancer may have symptoms
such as heavy bleeding and swelling in the breasts and abdomen. Women with the
disease will also experience tenderness around the vaginal area. There may be a
change in bowel patterns and of course there will be pain with menstruation.
When symptoms do appear, there are several ways in which they can appear to
include a lump that has a heaviness to it or a lump in the breast. The lump or
lumps are often small, but they can appear to be large if they are larger than
5mm.
Mesothelioma tissue will cause a lump on the chest wall as the name implies,
this is one of the most prominent symptoms in people with this type of cancer.
As with any other cancer you must pay close attention to your symptoms in order
to determine what the cancer is and what can be done about it. Most patients
develop full-blown symptoms within three years of the start of the cancer.
A physical exam is usually all that is needed in order to recognize the
symptoms. Your doctor may ask you questions about the pain in your chest and
about the appearance of the lump on your chest wall.
When the disease reaches its advanced stage, it may require invasive
surgery in order to remove the lumps of cancerous tissue. If you do choose to
go through surgery, it is very important that you speak with your doctor about
what they suggest and what it may entail. Your doctor is an expert in the field
and will be able to advise you as to what is the best course of action.
For those who have the disease in their early stages the cancer is normally
discovered by the doctor by simply noticing the lump in the body that is tested
for malignancy. The lump may appear as a single lump, or it may develop into
different areas over time. This is why it is important to get regular
examinations done in order to detect the cancer as early as possible.
In order to detect the presence of this cancer, you will need to consult
with your doctor every year for an examination. Once a doctor notices that
there is a lump in the patient's chest wall they will want to know what is
causing the lump. Your doctor may choose to run tests in order to determine the
presence of the mesothelioma cancer.
Early detection is very important in the early stages of mesothelioma
because it means the earlier the cancer is detected, the better the chance that
the mesothelioma cancer will be removed from the body in time. It is important
that you take every precaution in order to treat the cancer when it is
detected, as there is a good chance that the mesothelioma cancer can spread to
other parts of the body. If it does spread, it may cause problems that can last
a lifetime.
Mesothelioma is a serious disease and should not be taken lightly. Even
with the best treatment available it is impossible to completely remove the
cancer from the body, so you must try to control the cancer and keep it as far
away from the lymph nodes as possible. but the fact that it is non-cancerous
should not make it seem like it is a hopeless situation.