Mesothelioma Symptoms

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer where cells start to multiply at an uncontrollable rate in the layers of the tissue covering both lungs [¹]. Rarely, it might start in the layers of tissue that cover the organs of the abdomen called the peritoneum.

Mesothelioma becomes malignant if the tumor of cells is cancerous. It is a quite rare cancer type that is mainly caused by asbestos fibers’ exposure [²]. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to improve the survival rate since it usually has a poor prognosis [³].

Types of Mesothelioma

There are four types of Mesothelioma:

Pleural, which occurs in the lungs
Peritoneal, which occurs in the abdomen
Pericardial, which occurs in the heart
Testicular, which occurs in the testicles

The types are based on where the tumor occurs, with pleural Mesothelioma as the most common type.

Pericardial is usually quite uncommon, with only 200 cases in total in medical records. It accounts for only 1% of all cases. Surgery can help patients live beyond the average 6-month expectancy.

Testicular type can develop in the outer layers of the testes. The tumor can form on tunica vaginalis, which is the tissue on the testes. It is the rarest form of Mesothelioma, with less than 100 cases in total in medical records, making up even less than 1% of total cases.

Pleural can form on the lining and layers of tissue around the lungs, making up 80-90% of all Mesothelioma cases [⁵]. It is still rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Peritoneal occurs in the layers of tissue around the abdomen, which is called the peritoneum. It accounts for 10-15% of Mesothelioma cases. It is also caused by asbestos if they are ingested or inhaled.

How Is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?

It can be difficult to diagnose Mesothelioma. The Mesothelioma symptoms can resemble other diseases, and even the cells of the Mesothelioma can look like other cancer or normal cells [⁶].

The procedure for diagnosis starts with an appointment with a general physician or even going to the emergency room due to pain or shortness of breath. You should let your doctor know if you think you have been exposed to asbestos since doctors don’t often suspect Mesothelioma.

There are several tests to diagnose Mesothelioma. Some might even be repeated since diagnosis is difficult. You might have a combination of the tests below [⁷]:

Physical and medical exam
X-rays
CT scans
MRIs
Biopsy
Blood tests
Biomarkers
Genetic testing

Mesothelioma Staging

The breast cancer stage is based on the size of a tumor and its area of spread. There are five stages of cancer, from 0 to 4 [⁸]. The higher the stage of the cancer, the more the tumor has spread. During the initial diagnosis, it is staged. For example, if you have Stage III cancer and it returns having spread to the bone, you will be staged at Stage III with metastasis to the bone. Metastasis means that it has spread.

Breast cancer stages are under the TNM system too:

T= Tumor size (measured in centimeters)
N= Number of lymph nodes nearby with cancer
M= Whether the breast cancer has metastasized to other organs

Is Mesothelioma Hereditary?

A study in 2011 found that there are some genetic mutations that can increase the risk for Mesothelioma. The BAP1 gene has been linked to 70% of Mesothelioma cases [⁹].

However, this gene mutation only increases the risk of developing Mesothelioma. Only 1% of patients with Mesothelioma might have inherited the disease [¹⁰]. It is not hereditary, but people with BAP1 have an increased risk of developing it.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma symptoms develop gradually over a long time. Sometimes, the symptoms don’t appear until decades have passed after getting exposed to asbestos.

What Are the Symptoms of Mesothelioma?

Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma could include [¹¹]:

Chest pain
Dry cough
Difficulty in swallowing
Coughing up blood
Fatigue and tiredness
Loss of appetite
Night sweats
Hoarseness

Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma could include:

Abdominal pain
Night sweats
Abdominal swelling
Constipation or diarrhea
Nausea [¹³]

Symptoms of Pericardinal Mesothelioma could include:

Chest pain
Dry cough
Difficulty in swallowing
Pain in the shoulder
Swelling of lower extremities or legs

Symptoms of Testicular Mesothelioma could include:

Swelling on the scrotum
Solid mass in the scrotum

What Are Some Signs of Mesothelioma?

As mentioned, signs refer to clinical manifestations, something that could be noticed during medical tests or examinations. Some early signs of Pleural Mesothelioma could include:

Weight loss without cause
Shortness of breath
Effusion (buildup of fluids in the lungs)
Pleural plaque
Swollen fingertips [¹³]

Some early signs of Peritoneal Mesothelioma could include:

Blood clots
Fever
Inflammatory lesions
Weight loss with cause
Intestinal obstruction
Effusion (buildup of fluids in the peritoneum)
Vomiting

Some early signs of Pericardinal Mesothelioma could include:

Cardiac tamponade, which is blood or fluid buildup between the pericardium and heart
Effusion (buildup of fluids in the pericardium
Pericardial thickening
Heart murmurs

Some early signs of Testicular Mesothelioma could include:

Inguinal mass
Hydrocele
spermatocele

Symptoms of Mesothelioma in Women Vs. Symptoms of Mesothelioma in Men*

Most Mesothelioma cases among women are of the pleural type, which affects the tissue of the lungs. 25% of all cases of Mesothelioma occur among women.

For men, it can occur five times more than other types of Mesothelioma. However, the survival rate for women is more. 45% of women survive for more than a year beyond diagnosis compared to 38% of men. This might be attributed to getting diagnosed earlier in life, having a lower exposure rate to asbestos, and hormonal differences.

Misdiagnosis is common for women, but women tend to have more problems with this. Most of the time, exposure to asbestos occurs at the workplace in military or industrial jobs that weren’t open for women in the past. Since the disease is more persistent among men, doctors might not suspect Mesothelioma while diagnosing women.

The Mesothelioma symptoms are also non-specific and vague, similar to many other diseases. Hence, women may be diagnosed with pneumonia, flu, or asthma. They might even be told they have menstrual issues, irritable bowel syndrome, or other food intolerances or allergies.

*Note that here, we are using the terms “women” and “men” to refer to female and male biological sex at birth, respectively.

Risk Factors for Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma symptoms have been found to develop slowly. They can develop over several years, staying so mild that you might not notice the signs at first. The signs might also resemble many other diseases. A lot of people may not experience or ignore such symptoms. A lot of patients do not get diagnosed with the disease until they start to experience health problems that come with Mesothelioma, such as coughing up blood or extreme shortness of breath.

Hence, if you feel that you have been exposed to asbestos, it is important to get regularly checked for Mesothelioma.

Here are some risk factors for Mesothelioma [¹⁵]:

Exposure to asbestos
Zeolites minerals
Exposure to radiation
SV40 virus
Old age
Being a man
BAP1 gene mutations
Smoking

Mesothelioma Prevention

The biggest risk factor for developing Mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, so there are some steps you can take at the workplace to prevent this from happening. Maintaining high health and safety standards at work is essential for this.

Older homes might also have asbestos, so it is necessary to get your home checked by an expert.

Mesothelioma Prognosis and Treatment

The prognosis for Mesothelioma is highly dependent on the stage and type of Mesothelioma. In general, Mesothelioma cancers caught at earlier stages (stage 0/in situ, stage 1) have a better outlook. If cancer has metastasized, treatment is more difficult, but it is important to maintain hope.

Mesothelioma Survival Rate

The survival rate for Mesothelioma since it is so rare and hard to diagnose. The rate of survival is usually 4 to 18 months after the diagnosis has taken place, but some patients have been recorded to live up to 10 years [¹⁸]. The 5-year survival rate is 10%. Please note that the survival has increased in the last decade due to advances in diagnosis, testing, and treatment.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options

The main options for Mesothelioma treatment might be combined to achieve the most success. The treatment plan reflects the type of cancer you have and the stage at the time of diagnosis.

The treatment plan might include:

Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy
Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy

Conclusion

Takeaway

Mesothelioma is a very rare type of cancer, with exposure to asbestos as the leading cause. If you think you or your loved one might have been exposed to asbestos at the workplace or home, you should definitely make an appointment to get your body checked. Since symptoms can take years to develop after exposure, make sure to regularly get checked after exposure to asbestos.