Mesothelioma is a form of cancer affecting the mesothelium, which is a thin membrane that lines the inner surface of the chest wall, where he is known as the chest and abdomen, where it is known as the peritonitis. It also surrounds the organs within these cavities such as the heart, lungs and intestines. It is much more common in the chest mesothelioma than in the abdomen.
It is about a case of peritoneal mesothelioma for every 12 cases of pleural mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is not an easy disease to diagnose. Often a series of tests and hospital visits, and even then it is not always possible, that mesothelioma.
Symptoms & Referral
The first signs of the disease are rather vague. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue and weight loss. In most cases, the first sign of something wrong is when shortness of breath or chest pain occurs as a result of effusion. This is when fluid accumulates in space (pleural cavity) between the two layers of the pleural lining. At this stage, the patient is often visit their physician.
Picture Source - web.ics.purdue.edu
The GP often arrange a chest X-ray. However, the signs of mesothelioma on a chest X-ray is often unclear and X-rays can show thickening of the pleura or an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, which can also be caused by other conditions . Depending on the outcome of the X-ray, the doctor can take emergency patients to a hospital consultant specializing in lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The right side of the picture shows a normal lung and the left side shows a pleural effusion.
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