Q:When Do The Symptoms Of Mesothelioma Appear For The First Time?
A: The first symptoms of MESOTHELIOMA rarely appear less than 10 years after exposure. [1]
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.[2]
Malignant mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the pleura (the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs) or the peritoneum (the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs in the abdomen). This summary is about malignant mesothelioma of the pleura.
Being exposed to asbestos?
Many people with malignant mesothelioma have worked or lived in places where they inhaled or swallowed asbestos. After being exposed to asbestos, it usually takes a long time for malignant mesothelioma to occur. Other risk factors for malignant mesothelioma include the following:
* Living with a person who works near asbestos.
* Being exposed to a certain virus.[3]
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma?
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma vary depending on where the cancer occurs.
Pleural mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:
* Shortness of breath
* Painful breathing
* Chest pain under the rib cage
* Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest
* Unexplained weight loss
* Dry (nonproductive) cough
Peritoneal mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:
* Abdominal pain
* Abdominal swelling
* A change in your bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation
* Lumps of tissue in the abdomen
* Unexplained weight loss
Signs and symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma and mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis are unclear. These forms are so rare that not much information is available.
Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis may be first detected as a mass on a testicle.
Pericardial mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include difficulty breathing and fever.
Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma that has spread to other parts of the body:
* Pain in the area where cancer has spread
* Difficulty swallowing
* Swelling in the neck and face. [4]
Mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain?
Mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain continue to increase annually both for males and females. Statistical modelling of male mesothelioma deaths can be used to produce an estimate of the future peak number of mesothelioma deaths to males and females. Based on this methodology, the annual total number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain is estimated to peak at around 1950 to 2450 deaths some time between 2011 and 2015. [5]
Bibliography:
1.Eur Respir J. 1996 Jun;9(6):1206-10. Malignant pleural mesothelioma from nonoccupational asbestos exposure in Metsovo (north-west Greece): slow end of an epidemic? Sakellariou K, et al. Dept of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Ioannina, Medical School, Greece.
2.http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma
3.http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/patient
4.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mesothelioma/DS00779/DSECTION=2
5.http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/proj6801.pdf
