Symptoms

Shortness of breath and pain under the rib cage are the two primary symptoms of mesothelioma. Because the cancer causes fluid to build up around the lungs or in the abdomen, these symptoms could stem from the tumors or from the fluid build-up. Mesothelioma also can cause pain, swelling or lumps in the abdomen, as well as unexplained weight loss.

Tests the doctor will run

The doctor will first conduct a thorough physical exam, including asking a lot of questions to distinguish a diagnosis of mesothelioma from one of lung cancer. Additionally, the doctor may perform a chest x-ray, take a biopsy of the lung, analyze a sample of lung fluid or conduct minor surgical procedures to check the chest cavity, lungs or trachea for signs of disease.

Considerations for recovery and treatment

After determining that the patient has mesothelioma, the doctor will then weigh several factors to determine the chances of recovery and the kind of treatment necessary. The patient's age and general health, the type of mesothelioma, whether the cancer has spread or is in one place, the amount of fluid that has built up in the lungs, the size of the tumor and the stage of the disease will all affect the doctor's plan of attack.

Staging mesothelioma

Doctors categorize the stages of mesothelioma into two groups: localized and advanced. Localized mesothelioma--or Stage I--features cancer in the chest wall or in the lining of the lung, the diaphragm or the sac that contains the heart. Stage II finds cancer in the chest wall and in the lymph nodes on the same side of the chest. Stage III represents cancer that has spread to the heart, throughout the chest wall, beyond the diaphragm, the esophagus, the trachea or the lining of the abdomen. Stage IV sees the cancer spreading to other tissues or organs.

Treatment

Like most other kinds of cancer, doctors treat mesothelioma with a tailored combination of surgical procedures, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Surgical procedures can range from simply removing the tumor and some of the tissue around it, to removal of a lung, the lining of the chest or heart, or the covering of the lungs. Most professional and government organizations--like the National Cancer Institute--recommend that patients with mesothelioma consider entering a clinical trial for experimental therapy.

Source:

Mesothelioma (NIH Medical Encyclopedia)

Mesothelioma (National Cancer Institute)