Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma that exists,
and in its malignant form is the direct result of exposure to asbestos
fibres. You can get benign tumours with mesothelioma, but the malignant
form is by far the most common.
This form of mesothelioma attacks the lungs and respiratory areas of the
body. The cancer attacks the cells and the lining (known as the pleura)
of the lungs and ribs. As with other forms of mesothelioma, the symptoms
can take twenty or thirty years (sometimes longer) to present themselves
following exposure to asbestos, making it impossible for people to realize
that they have been affected until it is too late.
There are a number of symptoms for pleural mesothelioma, and like peritoneal
mesothelioma, they can appear very non-specific and could be put down
to a number of common diseases or illnesses. The long latency period associated
with mesothelioma is already the cause of much delay, but the type of
symptoms associated with this disease can cause even further delay, even
when the onset begins.
Some of the symptoms that are commonly associated with pleural mesothelioma
include: persistent coughing; difficulty swallowing; facial swelling;
weight loss; fever; rasping; and coughing up blood. Some patients may
also experience shortness of breath, whether they are being active or
even when they are resting. This can be caused by the thickening of the
pleura due to the spread of the tumour. The thicker the pleura gets, the
less space the lungs have to function properly, hence breathing begins
to be affected.
Some patients may also experience severe pain in the chest or ribs, and
this is caused by the spread of the cancerous cells and the tumour. Should
the tumour start to spread outwards, it will affect the chest area as
well as the lungs.
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