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Mesothelioma Symptoms and Treatment When mesotheliomas first symptoms are identified doctors order imaging scans to check for any cancerous growths on the abdomen or chest Mesothelioma can mimic other illnesses such as lung cancer or pneumonia and can cause confusion in diagnosis Doctors can also take the biopsy to diagnose mesothelioma There are three types of mesothelioma cells that are epithelial epidermal and Sarcomatoid sarcoma and biphasic Each type responds to treatment differently and has a different impact on the length of life Diagnosis Doctors may perform a variety of tests if mesothelioma was suspected This includes chest Xrays CT scans and biopsies The Xrays reveal the presence of fluid on the chest on one side This is referred to as pleural effusion and is often the first sign of mesothelioma However Xrays may not be the most reliable method to diagnose the condition A chest CT scan is the next step This will create a detailed image of your organs and lungs A doctor will inject you with a dye to highlight any areas that might be cancerous During the CT scanner youll be lying on a bed and traversed through a doughnutshaped scanner The procedure is only a few moments and isnt uncomfortable for those who are claustrophobic In some cases a physician will also perform an MRI The scans produce highquality pictures with radio waves and strong magnetic fields If you suffer from mesothelioma that is affecting the diaphragm or the diaphragm then an MRI can help doctors locate the disease and determine how advanced it is Some patients may also have an PET scan In this test you will receive a shot of radioactive dye Cancer cells will absorb the dye in greater quantities than healthy cells which is why they appear brighter in the images A biopsy is the last test to confirm mesothelioma A doctor will remove a portion of the affected lining The sample will be examined under a microscope to detect cancerous cells This procedure is done with a local anaesthetic It may be accomplished through surgery or by inserting needles guided by an CT scan Your doctor will use the results from other tests to confirm that mesothelioma is present This stage indicates how far mesothelioma spread and what types of treatment are appropriate for you This guide includes an article titled Staging which will teach you more about staging Treatment There are several treatment options for mesothelioma Certain treatments can improve quality of life or extend the duration of life more than others Mesothelioma patients should discuss their goals with their medical team to determine the best strategy Surgery is one method to treat mesothelioma During this operation surgeons try to eliminate all cancerous tissues If mesothelioma reaches an advanced stage the doctors may not be able to eliminate the tumor completely Surgeons can still reduce the symptoms The most frequent type of mesothelioma is mesothelioma pleural which develops in the lining of the lung In memphis mesothelioma attorney is possible for a patient to develop mesothelioma in the membrane surrounding the heart pericardial mesothelioma In rare cases one may also have mesothelioma in the testicles testicular mesothelioma Mesothelioma is treated by chemotherapy and radiation These treatments are typically administered by mesothelioma experts in special centers Chemotherapy employs drugs to kill mesothelioma tumor cells and stop their growth Cisplatin and pemetrexed are the most commonly used firstline drugs for pleural mesothelioma Radiation therapy makes use of high energy beams to kill cancerous cell This procedure is typically used alongside other mesothelioma treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery This treatment is also used to treat any mesothelioma left by surgeons following surgery Mesothelioma patients can suffer from many different adverse effects resulting from these treatments These symptoms include nausea fatigue and hair loss A mesothelioma doctor can help patients choose the best treatment for their individual needs They can also recommend other methods to improve a patients quality of life These can include regular pleural fluid drainage to ease breathing or powerful painkillers Patients should inform their doctor know about any other medications like herbal remedies supplements or overthecounter drugs This will ensure that there arent any potentially harmful interactions between these medications Prognosis Mesothelioma also referred to as mesothelioma pleural is a cancerous tumor that affects the membrane that forms the internal cavities of our bodies such as the chest cavity and abdomen When someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma malignant cells may develop within the mesothelium which may be spread to other parts of the body They can also cause symptoms such as breathing problems or pain A specialist doctors diagnosis of mesothelioma is crucial because its the first step to receiving treatment Mesothelioma can be diagnosed in many ways including physical examination laboratory tests and the procedure of a biopsy A biopsy is a small sample taken from the mass or tumor to check for mesothelioma The wrong diagnosis of mesothelioma can be dangerous as it can delay treatment or worsen the outlook Mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to detect due to the fact that its symptoms could be similar to lung cancer or other common ailments like pneumonia or bronchitis Because of this mesothelioma can be mistakenly identified as a respiratory issue The outlook for mesotheliomas patients is contingent on the type and stage along with age general health and medical history There is no cure for mesothelioma but the cancer can be controlled by chemotherapy surgery and radiation therapy Palliative treatment can be offered to patients to treat symptoms such as fatigue pain and other signs The stage of mesothelioma is a measure of how far a persons disease has spread and how far it has already progressed A doctor will make use of their best judgement to determine the stage by taking into consideration the symptoms and the speed at which the cancer is growing The rate of survival for mesothelioma depends on the stage and type as well the location of the cancer Those diagnosed with the lesscommon types of mesothelioma have worse prognosis Patients with peritoneal cancer for instance have a higher chance of living a longer life because it tends to grow slower in the abdomen than mesothelioma that is pleural in the chest Patients with an increased tolerance to treatment may also live longer than those who have a low tolerance A few patients with peritoneal mesothelioma had good results when they combined chemotherapy surgery and radiation Signs and symptoms When asbestos fibers are swallowed or inhaled they stick to the organs lining and cause them to grow into tumors Mesothelioma most commonly occurs in the lungs However it can also occur in the abdomen chest and testicles of men Symptoms of mesothelioma usually dont manifest until 4050 years after exposure The first step in determining mesothelioma is taking a background of exposure to asbestos Your doctor will then conduct an examination and review your symptoms A chest Xray could reveal abnormal swelling of the pleura or fluid in the space between the lungs and the chest wall A lung CT scan may also be used to identify mesothelioma as well as other cancers in the lungs You may undergo blood tests to assess the health of your kidneys and liver The doctor could require an chest MRI or an PET scan to check for any other cancers that could be present or mesothelioma that is located in the lungs or the chest wall If a biopsy of the tumor is required the doctor can remove it with surgery or by inserting a needle into the chest wall under local anesthesia The doctor will then examine the tissue using magnifying glasses to determine if this is malignant mesothelioma or a different form of cancer Following a diagnosis of mesothelioma by a doctor they will utilize the results of all tests to determine how advanced the cancer is They will assign a staging number for mesothelioma This can be useful in planning your treatment Benign mesotheliomas arent cancerous and cant be regrown when theyre completely removed surgically They usually form in the abdominal lining or pleura Because it affects the heart mesothelioma which develops in the pericardium may be more difficult to treat It may also recur after surgery Mesothelioma can also spread to other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes that are that are located outside the chest and abdomen It is sometimes difficult to recognize mesothelioma due to the similarity of symptoms to other conditions that are less serious This can lead to a mistaken diagnosis which can delay treatment Delay in treatment could result in complications and lower your chance of survival