Most of us are familiar with common cancers like lung cancer, bowel cancer, and breast cancer. But how much do you know about mesothelioma cancer? Also known as just mesothelioma, it’s a deadly disease claiming the lives of thousands of people worldwide each year. Learn vital information about this cancer below.

 

1. It’s Cancer of the Tissue

Mesothelioma is cancer in the tissue layer covering your major internal organs. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the tissue surrounding the lungs, while peritoneal mesothelioma generally affects the tissue in the abdomen. People can also be diagnosed with pericardial mesothelioma, affecting the heart lining, and testicular mesothelioma, affecting the testicles.

You might notice different symptoms depending on which form of mesothelioma you have. Generally, people with pleural mesothelioma affecting the lining of their lungs experience:

 

• Shortness of breath

• Chest pain

• Lumps under the skin on the chest

• Painful coughing

• Unexplained weight loss

 

Many people living with peritoneal mesothelioma experience:

 

• Abdominal pain

• Abdominal swelling

• Unexplained weight loss

• Nausea

 

If you have pericardial mesothelioma, symptoms might include:

• Chest pain

• A cough

• Difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Fever

• Night sweats

• Heart murmurs

• Irregular heartbeat

 

There can also be prominent symptoms associated with testicular mesothelioma, such as:

• Scrotal swelling

• Fluid retention around the testicle

• A hernia-like mass

• A solid scrotal mass

 

2. It’s Related to Asbestos Exposure

Exposure to friable asbestos isn’t the only cause of mesothelioma. Still, it’s undoubtedly the primary risk factor for this type of cancer. In fact, most mesothelioma cancer diagnoses are thought to relate to asbestos exposure.

While asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that doesn’t pose much of a risk when mixed with other materials and left undisturbed, it can be dangerous when friable. Small fibers can be inhaled or swallowed when asbestos is mined from the earth, broken up, or disturbed in any way.

Our bodies can’t digest asbestos fibres, so they can settle in the stomach or lungs, causing irritation. Within 1 0 to 50 years, that irritation can become an incurable form of cancer.  

Many factors can increase the risk of a mesothelioma diagnosis, such as:

• Asbestos exposure

• Exposure to someone who works with asbestos

• A family history of mesothelioma

• Radiation therapy for cancer in the chest area

 

3. The Diagnostics Process Is Complex

Many of the symptoms associated with mesothelioma can relate to other conditions, so healthcare professionals must be thorough in making an accurate diagnosis.

Typically, they start by performing a physical exam. They check for lumps and irregularities and even ask about your medical and work history. Most doctors also perform a chest X-ray or CT scan to look for asbestos exposure. Sometimes, this presents as pleural plaques and fluid build-up in the area between the lungs and chest wall.

If any fluid is spotted, specialists can drain it with ultrasound-guided needle aspiration. Typically, this procedure rules out other causes rather than confirming a mesothelioma diagnosis. After this procedure, doctors organise a biopsy in which a tissue sample is obtained from the chest wall.

Once a sample is removed, the tissue is analysed to see if it’s mesothelioma. Analysis can also determine the type of mesothelioma you have. A positive diagnosis might trigger further tests to find out if it’s spread and where else in the body the cancer now might be.

 

4. There Is No Cure for Mesothelioma

Medical advancements are being made all the time, so no cure for mesothelioma today doesn’t mean no cure forever. If your mesothelioma is caught in its early stages, there’s a chance you’ll be able to have surgery to remove most or even all parts of the cancer.

However, if that’s not possible, surgery can help take care of some of the related issues, such as fluid build-up resulting in breathing difficulties. Many healthcare professionals also recommend chemotherapy to combat symptoms and targeted therapy to attack cancer cells.

In the later stages of this cancer, most healthcare professionals can provide options for symptom management, such as pain medication and drain installation to remove fluids.

 

5. Life Expectancy Is Short

Sadly, by the time many people receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, their life expectancy is short. Studies have painted a sobering picture of just how aggressive this form of cancer is.  

In males aged 50-79 with localized pleural mesothelioma, just 7% survived five years after diagnosis, and just 46% survived their first year after diagnosis.

However, there are exceptions to the rule. With treatment, some patients can outlive their life expectancy by months or even years.

For example, Heather Von St. James was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma and was told she had 15 months to live. After adopting a multimodal treatment plan with surgery and heated chemotherapy, Heather is still alive more than 16 years since her diagnosis. Heather now works as a mesothelioma research funding advocate and conference speaker.

 

6. It Can Take Decades to Experience Symptoms

Some people start experiencing cancer symptoms within months of developing it. However, that’s not typically the case with mesothelioma. It can take 10 to 50 years to start showing signs after exposure to asbestos.