Mesothelioma Symptoms
Malignant mesothelioma is unusual somewhat in that symptoms of the actual cancer do not generally appear until twenty to sixty years following an asbestos exposure. The disease takes so long to develop within the body that often the causal relationship between exposure and mesothelioma becomes somewhat muddled by the latency of the disease. This is part of what makes mesothelioma so trying for doctors, who typically aren't able to diagnose the disease until it is in its later stages. By the time the patient exhibits symptoms of the disease, it is likely that is has already spread to other parts of the body, making efforts to control the disease particularly difficult.
Other difficulties are sometimes encountered because mesothelioma is initially misdiagnosed. Symptoms can resemble pneumonia, heart disease, and bronchitis. While the physician experienced in mesothelioma may recognize immediately the possibility of the disease and perform a thorough examination and ask their patient about their own asbestos history, many simply have never encountered this rare disease and too often the mistake is misdiagnosis. However, perhaps what is most encouraging is that cancer researchers and other physicians are attempting to develop reliable testing procedures to identify mesothelioma in its earlier stages, perhaps even before common symptoms manifest.
If a patient has a history of asbestos exposure they should be regularly examined by their physician in order to identify the earliest signs of mesothelioma or other asbestos related respiratory illness. Symptoms will vary from patient to patient, depending on both the severity of the illness and the overall health of the patient. Patients who know they have been exposed to asbestos and those who believe they may have been exposed should immediately seek a thorough physician's examination if the following symptoms appear.
- Shortness of breath
- Weight loss
- Inability to sleep
- Husky/raspy voice
- Difficulty in swallowing food or drink
- Chest pain
- Abdominal Pain
- Coughing up blood
- Fluid in the lung
- Coughing
It is not only important for patients with asbestos history to recognize these symptoms but also to share their work/exposure history with their physician. Early detection of this disease affords the patient the greatest possible chance to extend their prognosis. Access to preferred treatment, such as surgical resection, is dependant upon discovering this disease in its early stages.
