During the third stage, tumors spread more thoroughly throughout the chest, placing pressure on the lungs and chest wall. These physical changes can lead to an increase in pain and difficulty breathing, a persistent dry cough, tightness in the chest, fatigue and weight loss.
Snehal Smart is the Pleural Mesothelioma Center’s in-house medical doctor, serving as both an experienced Patient Advocate and an expert medical writer for the website. When she is not providing one-on-one assistance to patients, Dr. Snehal stays current on the latest medical research, reading peer-reviewed studies and interviewing oncologists to learn about advancements in diagnostic tools and cancer treatments.
Mesothelioma is an uncommon disease. The disease is more common in men of Caucasian and Hispanic ethnicity, and less common among Asian and African American men. The disease shows a male predominance, which is like due to occupational exposure.
The time from first exposure to onset of the disease, is between 25 and 70 years. It is virtually never less than fifteen years and peaks at 30–40 years. The duration of exposure to asbestos causing mesothelioma can be short. For example, cases of mesothelioma have been documented with only 1–3 months of exposure.
In the first stage, the tumor burden is relatively minimal and may not cause any noticeable symptoms. When a patient is diagnosed in stage 1, it is usually because a doctor accidentally detected the cancer through a routine X-ray or other tests. The two most common presenting symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are shortness of breath and chest pain. These symptoms usually develop as a result of fluid buildup in the area around the lungs, also known as pleural effusion, or tumors pressing against the lung and chest wall.
Symptoms of mesothelioma and other asbestos cancers first emerge in small, subtle ways after the cancer has spread. Some are so minor that people and their doctors mistake them as symptoms of some other disorder or shrug them off entirely. These small signals don’t develop until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos, known as the latency period.
With trimodal treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy), survival was noted in some people at 16-19 months. A few people survived as long as five years.
Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms (Stages 3 & 4)Late stages of pleural mesothelioma have more specific symptoms, but also include symptoms from the earlier stages. In stages 3 and 4, symptoms still include difficulty breathing, chest pains, and coughing, but these symptoms may be more severe.Symptoms specific to pleural mesothelioma begin to emerge in these stages. This is when most patients are diagnosed. These symptoms may include:Fever and/or night sweatsShortness of breath (dyspnea)Painful breathingFatigueAnemiaPersistent pain in the chest or rib regionPersistent coughingCoughing up blood (hemoptysis)Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)Pleural effusionsDuring these stages, treatment may be used to relieve pain and discomfort associated with various symptoms. For example, doctors may drain pleural effusions to reduce chest pain and make breathing easier. Ask a NurseHave a Question?Get your medical questions answered. Tap to Ask a Nurse Ask a Nurse
Some groups of people are at a higher risk of mesothelioma than others because of regular, everyday exposure to asbestos. Higher risk groups include factory workers, miners, construction workers and military veterans.
The first symptoms of mesothelioma include chest or abdominal pain, bloating and shortness of breath, depending on the location of the cancer. Because early-stage signs can be slight, doctors often mistake them as normal aches and pains or symptoms of less serious illnesses.
The two most common presenting symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are shortness of breath and chest pain. These symptoms usually develop as a result of fluid buildup in the area around the lungs, also known as pleural effusion, or tumors pressing against the lung and chest wall.
The latency period for mesothelioma can last for many years, usually decades. This provides a long timeframe during which symptoms can develop, and in many cases they may be confused for symptoms of another condition even after the symptoms begin to occur.
Older homes and buildings may contain asbestos. In many cases, it's more dangerous to remove the asbestos than it is to leave it intact. Breaking up asbestos may cause fibers to become airborne, where they can be inhaled. Consult experts trained to detect asbestos in your home. These experts may test the air in your home to determine whether the asbestos is a risk to your health. Don't attempt to remove asbestos from your home — hire a qualified expert. The Environmental Protection Agency offers advice on its website for dealing with asbestos in the home.
Radiation therapy is a cancer-fighting technique. In radiation therapy, a radiation oncologist uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing. The two types of radiation therapy are external and internal. Potential side effects of radiation therapy include: tiredness, rash, skin redness, permanent pigmentation, scarring, diarrhea, and a reduction in white blood cells.
Stage 4 mesothelioma is the most advanced stage of the disease, indicating the cancer has spread more widely throughout the body. At this point, common symptoms seen at other stages will be more severe and likely be systemic as the cancer further advances. Some of the additional symptoms patients may experience because their mesothelioma has spread include nerve damage and other conditions. Most stage 4 mesothelioma patients only have the option of palliative treatment to help manage their symptoms and improve quality of life.
What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer (malignancy) that most frequently arises from the cells lining the sacs of the chest (the pleura) or the abdomen (the peritoneum). Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form, often presenting with symptoms in the chest area. Peritoneal mesothelioma is much less common. This can affect the organs in the abdomen, and its symptoms are related to this area of the body, that is, abdominal swelling, nausea, vomiting, and bowel obstruction. The rarest form of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma, which involves the sac surrounding the heart. There are two major cell types of mesothelioma, epithelial and sarcomatoid. Sometimes both of these cell types can be present. The sarcomatoid type is rarer and occurs in only about 15% of cases; it portends a poorer prognosis. In very rare cases, mesothelioma can originate from benign, non-malignant cells. This so-called benign mesothelioma can be cured surgically.