Mesothelioma is a very difficult disease to diagnose as the early symptoms are very subtle, and often dismissed as common every day ailments. Patients often live up to 6 months with symptoms before being diagnosed with Mesothelioma.

Of all Pleural Mesothelioma patients, approximately 60% experience side chest pain, lower back pain, and shortness of breath. Some patients may have troubles swallowing, have a persistent cough, weight loss, fever, or fatigue. Other symptoms that may occur are muscle weakness, the coughing up of blood, loss of sensory capability, and facial and arm swelling.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma patients report symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomitting, and weight loss. Fluid may also build up in the abdomen in a hernia is present.

Anyone who has previously been exposed to Asbestos and is showing signs of any of the above symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

Asbestos

Asbestos Exposure is the most predominate cause of Mesothelioma

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Radiation

Thorium Dioxide (Thorotrast) has been linked to Mesothelioma

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Zeolite

A type of silica sand with properties similiar to asbestos found only in Turkey

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Simian Virus 40

Simian Virus 40 (SV30), a disease found in humans and animals

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Tobacco

Smoking added to asbestos exposure leads to Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer

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Smoking by itself has not been linked to Mesothelioma, but people exposed to asbestos who also smoke have a fifty to ninety percent higher chance of developing lung cancer. Research has shown that lung cancer is the leading cause of death for those people exposed to asbestos.

Simian Virus 40 (SV30), a virus that affects humans and animals, has been linked to Mesothelioma. The exact relationship between SV30 and the formation of Mesothelioma is still unclear, further studies and research is currently being conducted.

Zeolite, a silica based mineral with properties similiar to asbestos, found in the Anatoli region of Turkey, has been linked to some Mesothelioma cases.

Thorium Dioxide (Thorotrast), a substance previously used in x-rays has been reportedly linked to the formation of Pleural Mesothelioma and Peritoneal Mesothelioma. The use of Thorium Dioxide has been discontinued for many years since this connection to Mesothelioma was discovered.

Asbestos exposure is the leading risk factor associated with Mesothelioma. Asbestos is an insulating material composed of magnesium-silicate mineral fibers. Since researchers have indentified increasing links between Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure, the material is now rarely used. Prior to the discovery of this connection, millions of people across the world have experienced serious exposure to this dangerous material.

Blue collar workers are often at the highest risk of developing Mesothelioma due to asbestos from occupational exposure at mines, shipyards, factories, construction sites, and other industries. The who install asbestos based insulation are clearly at the highest risk of exposure. It is not rare for family members to receive second hand exposure to asbestos from dust and fibers brought into the home, and therefore, also becoming at risk to developing Mesothelioma.

Research reveals that inhaled asbestos fibers cause a physical irritation resulting in Mesothelioma based cancers. The long and thin, amphibole fibers in asbestos, do not easily clear from the body, and then they embed into the lining of the lungs and chest resulting in Mesothelioma. It is beleived that coughing up and swallowing asbestos contributes to the formation of Peritoneal Mesothelioma, a type of Mesothelioma that originates in the abdomen.

The duration and amount of asbestos exposure is directly proportional to the chance of contriving Mesothelioma. People with high exposure at a young age for extended periods of time are in the most danger. It is also important to note that Mesothelioma can take a long time to manifest in the body. In some cases, thirty to forty years can pass from the time of asbestos exposure to the initial symptoms of Mesothelioma.

Malignant Mesothelioma

An uncommon form of Mesothelioma

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Pleural Mesothelioma

Type of Mesothelioma that affects the chest and lungs

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Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Type of Mesothelioma that affects the abdomen

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Pericardial Mesothelioma

Type of Mesothelioma that affects the heart

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Benign Mesothelioma

Type of Mesothelioma that affects the peritoneum

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Uncommon Mesothelioma

Type of Mesothelioma that affects uncommon sites

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There have been reports of Mesothelioma affecting the ovaries in women, and the scrotum in men. Treatment for these rare and uncommon forms of Mesothelioma will vary depending on the stage a patient has progressed to. The survival rate for patients with uncommon Mesothelioma is not favorable.

Benign Mesothelioma affects the peritoneum, and women of younger age. Benign Mesothelioma is rarely diagnosed, and is not a malignant form of Mesothelioma. Benign Mesothelioma is extremely difficult to identify and diagnose, and requires specialized microscopes and immunologic techniques.