Malignant mesothelioma symptoms vary depending on where the cancer is located and what part of your body it affects. The most common form of the disease is pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of your lungs (pleura). Other types of mesothelioma involve the lining of your abdominal organs and heart (peritoneal mesothelioma), as well as your testicles.
Early-stage mesothelioma doesn’t usually cause any symptoms at first. But once it spreads, you may start to experience symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pains. Other signs include fatigue, weight loss, and a change in your appetite or energy levels.
These symptoms are often mild and nonspecific, so they are commonly misdiagnosed as other illnesses. If you have any of these symptoms, or have any questions about them, you should see a doctor right away.
The doctor will take a detailed medical history, ask you about your family’s health and talk to you about any symptoms you are having. Then, they will do a physical exam and order imaging tests, like X-rays or CT scans, to see if you have mesothelioma.
You will also need more tests to learn what type of mesothelioma you have and its stage, or how far it has spread in your body. This information will help your doctor decide what kind of treatment you should receive and how to best treat the cancer.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that starts when mutations occur in your DNA. These changes cause cells to start growing out of control and form a tumor. When a tumor grows out of control, it can spread to other parts of your body and even kill you.
It’s important to get prompt mesothelioma screening to find the disease and prevent complications, such as lung disease or death. If you do have mesothelioma, there are ways to fight it, including surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Early-stage mesothelioma is a more treatable form of the disease. Your doctor will watch it closely and treat it if it starts to grow or cause symptoms.
If you have early-stage pleural mesothelioma, your doctor can give you medications to slow the growth of the cancer and ease your symptoms. These medicines can reduce your discomfort, improve your quality of life and help you stay in better health for a longer period of time.
Another way to improve your chances of surviving with mesothelioma is to quit smoking and get flu and pneumonia vaccinations. Quitting smoking and receiving the vaccines can boost your lung function, which increases your chance of a good outcome.
You can also take steps to decrease your risk of mesothelioma, such as avoiding asbestos and other sources of exposure. If you already have mesothelioma, undergoing surgery and radiation therapy can stop the growth of the cancer and increase your chance of a good outcome.
Other things you can do to lower your risk of mesothelioma are to keep a healthy lifestyle and eat a nutritious diet. These habits will not only help your body to fight the cancer, they will also decrease your chances of developing other types of cancers in the future.
