Mesothelioma

What Causes Mesothelioma?

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a natural mineral composed of tiny, tinsel-like fibers. These fibers are fine, durable shards that can withstand high levels of heat, chemical or water exposure when bound together. Asbestos fibers are also extremely flexible, allowing them to be used in a variety of products.

From the 1920s until the 1980s, asbestos was widely used in blue-collar industries and the military. As early as the 1930s, claims of asbestos-related health risks came to the surface but were ignored.

Manufacturers were warned of the risks that people faced when using asbestos or asbestos-containing products. One serious risk was increased evidence of a link to cancer. However, they hid the truth since they knew they could make a huge wartime profit in World War II. Their selfishness has led to thousands of preventable deaths.

How Asbestos Exposure Leads to Mesothelioma

Asbestos fibers are released into the air when disturbed and settle on nearby surfaces. These microscopic fibers can be breathed in or swallowed by unsuspecting victims. Once inside a person’s body, the fibers can embed themselves deep into the tissue lining of various organs.

The fibers cause constant and repetitive irritation to the lining of the affected organ. This irritation leads to the development of scar tissue and eventually genetic mutations. At that point, some healthy cells transform into cancerous cells, which quickly divide and form malignant tumors.

Rapid tumor growth damages the affected organs, preventing them from functioning properly. If the spread of cancer is not stopped, it will become fatal.

What are Mesothelioma Symptoms?

As with most cancers, mesothelioma symptoms differ for each person based on factors like age, sex and overall health level.

Common symptoms of mesothelioma include:

• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Fluid buildup
• Loss of appetite
• Night sweats
• Pain in the affected area
• Persistent flu-like symptoms

Recognizing the symptoms — and receiving a correct diagnosis — early on can greatly increase the odds of long-term survival. If you have a history of asbestos exposure and you’re experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, make an appointment with a mesothelioma specialist today.

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms

Since pleural mesothelioma forms in the lining of the lungs, its symptoms often affect the respiratory system. Additional pleural mesothelioma symptoms include tightness in the chest, difficulty swallowing and weight loss.

Doctors use a staging system when diagnosing pleural mesothelioma. During the early stages (stages 1 and 2), the cancer has not spread and the most treatment options are available. In the later stages (stages 3 and 4), the cancer has grown and may have spread to other parts of the body through the lymph nodes.

In stages 1 and 2 of pleural mesothelioma, mild symptoms may be mistaken for other ailments. These symptoms can resemble the flu, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or even the common cold.

As the cancer progresses, tumors cause the lining of the lungs to thicken, restricting the lungs from expanding fully. This can prevent a patient from being able to take a deep breath. In stages 3 and 4, pleural mesothelioma patients often experience painful and uncomfortable breathing-related symptoms.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms

Unlike pleural mesothelioma, there is no official staging system for peritoneal mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal bloating, nausea, constipation and diarrhea. These common symptoms start off mildly, but as the lining of the abdomen thickens, tumors develop and symptoms become more noticeable.

Because of their similarity to other abdominal illnesses, doctors can find it difficult to diagnose these symptoms accurately. Some patients with peritoneal mesothelioma have been misdiagnosed with other conditions such as a ventral hernia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or ovarian cancer.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms

Pericardial mesothelioma is extremely rare and, as a result, there is not a complete list of symptoms. However, some symptoms reported have been heart palpitations (arrhythmia), heart murmurs and an irregular heartbeat.

Symptoms will worsen over time as the lining of the heart thickens and tumors develop. This causes further inflammation and strain on the heart. Because these symptoms are broad, patients may be misdiagnosed with other heart issues.

Testicular Mesothelioma Symptoms

Like pericardial mesothelioma, little is known about testicular mesothelioma. However, there are common symptoms including the inflammation or thickening of the testicular lining. Swelling of the testicles may also be present.

Doctors may misdiagnose this form of mesothelioma as a groin hernia or similar condition.

How is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?

Getting an accurate diagnosis from a mesothelioma specialist is essential to receiving effective treatment. Armed with an accurate diagnosis, these doctors can rule out other diseases and develop treatment plans that may extend a patient’s life.

Doctors usually take multiple steps to diagnose mesothelioma in their patients.

Patient Examination and Review of Medical History

Patients who have symptoms of mesothelioma can undergo a physical examination. Doctors will examine the patient’s symptoms, noting how long they have been present. Patients should tell their doctor about any history of asbestos exposure. If the doctor is concerned, they will often request an imaging scan of the patient’s body as the next step.

Perform Imaging Scans (MRI/CT Scan/X-Ray)

Imaging scans, including X-rays, CT scans and MRIs, allow a physician to determine whether there is a tumor growing in the patient’s body. Doctors often require several scans to rule out of illnesses. For imaging scans like MRIs and CT scans, your doctor can often tell you the results the next day.

While these scans are valuable, mesothelioma cannot be diagnosed by an imaging scan alone.

The final step in diagnosing mesothelioma is to conduct a biopsy.

Conduct a Biopsy

If imaging scans reveal an existing tumor or questionable mass, doctors will order a biopsy. A surgical biopsy removes a tissue sample from a tumor. This sample is studied under a microscope to detect if cancer cells are present.

In some cases, patients are unable to undergo a surgical biopsy, and a needle biopsy is performed to examine fluid from the body. The most accurate type of biopsy is a surgical biopsy and will confirm to doctors whether a patient has mesothelioma. It can take anywhere from 2-10 days for a patient to get the results of a biopsy.

Because doctors need to rule out other conditions, they require several scans to confirm a diagnosis. For imaging scans like MRIs and CT scans, your doctor can often tell you the results the next day. It can take anywhere from 2-10 days for a patient to get the results of a biopsy.

Getting a Second Opinion

Because mesothelioma is a rare cancer, it is often misdiagnosed by inexperienced doctors. Receiving a second opinion can also lead to an improved treatment plan. No patient or their family should ever feel embarrassed to seek a second opinion.

What is a Mesothelioma Prognosis?

A prognosis is an overall outlook for the disease. It affects a patient’s treatment options and life expectancy. Because mesothelioma is often diagnosed in the later stages, most patients receive a poor prognosis.

Only a handful of mesothelioma patients will ever achieve a long-term survival. For example, the American Cancer Society notes that only 9% of patients with pleural mesothelioma will still be alive 5 years after their diagnosis. The other types have similar outlooks.

However, many different factors impact prognosis. These factors vary with each patient.

Factors that determine a patient’s prognosis include:

• Location: Where the mesothelioma develops will determine the available treatment options.
• Cell Type: Every mesothelioma tumor is made up of millions of individual cells. The type of cell gives clues to the likely prognosis. Mesothelioma tumors are usually composed of epithelioid or sarcomatoid cells. Biphasic tumors contain both cell types, making them harder to treat.
• Stage: Pleural mesothelioma is classified from stage 1 to 4. Peritoneal, pericardial and testicular mesothelioma do not have recognized staging systems.
• Spread: Mesothelioma can be considered either localized or metastatic. Localized mesothelioma is contained to the original site, while metastatic mesothelioma has spread to other parts of the body.

Is Mesothelioma Treatable?

Mesothelioma is most treatable in the early stages (stages 1 and 2) with multiple curative options. The advanced stage cases (stages 3 and 4) have fewer treatment options, and the focus is on improving a patient’s quality of life.

Mesothelioma specialists can create personalized treatment plans for each patient according to their specific diagnosis. Specialists prescribe treatment options by considering a variety of factors including a patient’s current health, likely prognosis and personal wishes.

Common Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Surgery

Surgery for mesothelioma involves removing the malignant tumor(s) and the surrounding tissue and organs — either partially or fully — to stop the spread of cancer. Surgery is most often recommended for early-stage patients.

The extrapleural pneumonectomy (removal of diseased lung and pleura) and pleurectomy with decortication (removal of diseased pleura only) are the most common surgical procedures for pleural mesothelioma.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is most often treated surgically by cytoreduction with HIPEC (removal of visible tumors followed by heated chemotherapy application).

Chemotherapy

Specialized drugs are introduced to circulate throughout the body. This helps kill off mesothelioma cells to prevent them from multiplying and spreading. Chemotherapy is administered in cycles over the course of several weeks or months.

For mesothelioma, a combination of chemotherapy drugs will often be used when surgery is no longer possible. The most common combination is cisplatin and pemetrexed.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), cisplatin is highly useful in treating solid mesothelioma tumors because it stops the cancer cells from dividing. Pemetrexed is often known by its brand name Alimta and works by preventing cancer cells from making DNA.

However, chemotherapy is known to have serious side effects. The combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed can lead to hair loss, nausea, a loss of appetite and acute kidney damage.

As a result, variations of these drugs with less serious side effects were developed. One such drug, carboplatin (a milder form of cisplatin), has been approved for use in mesothelioma patients.

Radiation

Doctors use high-energy radiation beams aimed directly at the tumor site to shrink the tumors. The radiation beams target mesothelioma cells by interfering with their DNA, preventing them from multiplying and spreading.

According to the NCI, radiation must be done over several days or weeks for it to be most effective. Widespread death of cancer cells will not start until this happens.

Though radiation treatment can be useful in treating mesothelioma, it also damages non-cancerous cells that are nearby the affected area. This can cause serious side effects such as fatigue, hair loss, nausea, diarrhea and problems with swallowing.

These side effects may take weeks or months to subside. Additionally, too much radiation in the body can lead to other health problems. Due to these reasons, radiation is normally used alongside different forms of treatment.

Multimodal Approach for Mesothelioma

Depending on the circumstances, doctors may prescribe multiple types of treatment together.

Using this multimodal approach, doctors administer various treatments in a specific order.

For example, they may recommend an initial radiation treatment to shrink tumors before surgically removing them. Doctors may also surgically remove the tumor first and then administer radiation or chemotherapy.

Mesothelioma Treatment is Costly

Unfortunately, these treatments are extremely expensive — even with insurance.

Treating mesothelioma can cost upwards of $400,000 to $600,000. Treatment can lead to years of medical bills and, in some cases, financial bankruptcy. This adds unneeded stress at a time when patients should be able to focus on healing and spending time with loved ones.

Legal Action for Mesothelioma Patients

Companies that made and sold asbestos-containing products willingly chose to risk the lives of innocent people for profit. They deceived the public by lying and hiding the truth for decades.

What this means: ALL mesothelioma cases could have been prevented.

Many of the same companies that negligently sold toxic asbestos-based products are having to pay the price. When the truth about asbestos was uncovered, the U.S. courts system ordered these companies to set aside trust funds specifically for victims of their wrongdoing.

How a Mesothelioma Lawyer Can Help

Mesothelioma lawyers and experienced law firms are invaluable resources for patients and their families. These dedicated lawyers fight on behalf of mesothelioma victims to secure financial compensation for their clients.

Working with an attorney can help patients get their fair share of the $30+ Billion set aside in asbestos trust funds. These funds are tax-free, and many victims have used this money to pay for treatment, costs of living and to establish a legacy for their loved ones.

We Have Helped Thousands of Mesothelioma Victims

The Mesothelioma Justice Network has partnered with experienced mesothelioma lawyers across the country who will work tirelessly to pursue justice and restitution. They have helped over 6,000 victims recover billions and they can help you too.

Our legal network makes this process easy:

• We come to you at a time and place of your choosing.
• We work on your behalf with no upfront fees.
• We represent you in court so you can focus on what matters.
• We will maximize the value of your case.
• We may also be able to help with filing VA claims and finding top doctors.

Contact the Mesothelioma Justice Network today to speak with a Claim Advocate. We want to answer any questions you have about seeking treatment or filing a mesothelioma claim. Call us at (888) 360-4215.