Pleural Mesothelioma - Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatments

Thickening of pleural membrane layers and the resulting build-up of fluid (called pleural effusion) begins to put pressure on the lungs and the respiratory system in general, preventing normal breathing. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are largely caused by these developments, and may include the following:

* Persistent dry or raspy cough
* Coughing up blood
* Difficulty in swallowing
* Shortness of breath that occurs even when at rest
* Persistent pain in the chest or rib area, or painful breathing
* Development of lumps under the skin on the chest
* Night sweats or fever
* Unexplained weight loss
* Fatigue

As with other types of mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose. There are two reasons for this. First, the long latency period of the disease means that cancer develops long before the first symptoms are noted. Second, the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are very non-specific. In the early stages, pleural mesothelioma symptoms are often mistaken for those of less threatening diseases such as influenza and pneumonia.

Pleural mesothelioma diagnosis is made partly on the basis of symptoms, but because symptoms are non-specific, additional diagnostic tests are needed to confirm the presence of cancer. Following a medical history review and physical examination, patients must typically undergo imaging tests to confirm the location of cancer, and fluid and tissue tests to confirm the type of cancer involved.

In general, pleural mesothelioma patients have three options: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Typically, patients will receive a combination of two or more of these types of treatment.

Early pleural mesothelioma diagnosis can improve a patient's prognosis considerably, and such patients have more extensive treatment options. If the disease is diagnosed early enough, surgery to remove localized tumors, followed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells can be an effective treatment. Curative surgery candidates must be in a good general state of health, and their cancer must not have spread beyond localized sections of the lungs.