Malignant Mesothelioma Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging

 | 1.800.227.2345

Malignant Mesothelioma Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging

Know the signs and symptoms of malignant mesothelioma. Find out how malignant mesothelioma is tested for, diagnosed, and staged. Detection and Diagnosis Finding cancer early, when it's small and before it has spread, often allows for more treatment options. Some early cancers may have signs and symptoms that can be noticed, but that's not always the case.

q Can Malignant Mesothelioma Be Found Early? q Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma q Tests for Malignant Mesothelioma

Stages of Mesothelioma After a cancer diagnosis, staging provides important information about the extent of cancer in the body and anticipated response to treatment.

q Malignant Mesothelioma Stages

Outlook (Prognosis) Doctors often use survival rates as a standard way of discussing a person's outlook (prognosis). These numbers can't tell you how long you will live, but they might help you better understand your prognosis. Some people want to know the survival statistics for people in similar situations, while others might not find the numbers helpful, or might

1

_A_m__e_ri_ca_n__C_a_n_c_e_r_S_o_c_i_e_ty_________________________________________c_a_n_c_e_r._o_rg__|_1_.8_0_0_._2_2_7_.2_3_4_5__

even not want to know them.

q Survival Rates for Malignant Mesothelioma

Questions to Ask About Mesothelioma Here are some questions you can ask your cancer care team to help you better understand your diagnosis and treatment options.

q Questions to Ask About Malignant Mesothelioma

Can Malignant Mesothelioma Be Found Early?

Mesothelioma is rare, and there are no recommended screening tests for this cancer in people who are not at increased risk. (Screening is testing for cancer in people who don't have any symptoms.) For people who are known to have been exposed to asbestos, some doctors recommend regularimaging tests1, like chest x-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans, to look for changes in the lungs that might be signs of mesothelioma or lung2 cancer. But it's not clear how useful these tests are in finding mesotheliomas early. Doctors have found that people with mesothelioma have high levels of certain substances in their blood, including fibulin-3 and soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRPs). Researchers continue to study how blood tests for these substances might help find mesotheliomas early, as well as how they might be used to monitor the course of the disease in people who have mesothelioma. Most mesotheliomas are found when a person goes to a doctor because of symptoms, most often chest pain and shortness of breath. People who have been exposed to asbestos should know the possible signs and symptoms of mesothelioma. Many of these symptoms are more likely to be caused by something other than mesothelioma. Still, it's important to report any new symptoms to a health care provider right away so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

2

_A_m__e_ri_ca_n__C_a_n_c_e_r_S_o_c_i_e_ty_________________________________________c_a_n_c_e_r._o_rg__|_1_.8_0_0_._2_2_7_.2_3_4_5__

Hyperlinks

1. cancer/diagnosis-staging/tests/imaging-tests/imaging-radiologytests-for-cancer.html

2. cancer/types/lung-cancer.html

References Jain SV, Wallen JM. Cancer, Mesothelioma, Malignant. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2018 Jan-2018 Jul 18. National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines?), Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Version 2.2018 -- February 26, 2018. Accessed at professionals/physician_gls/pdf/mpm.pdf on October 26, 2018. Rokicki W, Rokicki M, Wojtacha J, Rydel MK. Malignant mesothelioma as a difficult interdisciplinary problem. Kardiochir Torakochirurgia Pol. 2017;14(4):263-267.

Last Revised: November 16, 2018

Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma

q Pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the chest) symptoms q Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms q Pericardial mesothelioma symptoms q General mesothelioma symptoms

Many of the early symptoms of mesothelioma are the same as those likely to be caused by other problems, so at first people may ignore them or mistake them for common, minor ailments. Most people with mesothelioma have symptoms for at least a few months before they are diagnosed.

3

_A_m__e_ri_ca_n__C_a_n_c_e_r_S_o_c_i_e_ty_________________________________________c_a_n_c_e_r._o_rg__|_1_.8_0_0_._2_2_7_.2_3_4_5__

Pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma of the chest) symptoms

q Pain in the side of the chest or lower back q Shortness of breath q Cough q Trouble swallowing (feeling like food gets stuck) q Hoarseness q Swelling of the face and arms

Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms

q Abdominal (belly) pain q Swelling or fluid in the abdomen q Nausea and vomiting q Constipation

Pericardial mesothelioma symptoms

q Chest pain q Irregular heart rhythm q Heart murmur q Shortness of breath

General mesothelioma symptoms

q Fever q Excessive sweating q Fatigue q Weight loss (without trying) q Blood clots q Loss of appetite

These symptoms can be caused by mesothelioma, but more often they are caused by other conditions. Still, if you have any of these problems (especially if you have been

4

_A_m__e_ri_ca_n__C_a_n_c_e_r_S_o_c_i_e_ty_________________________________________c_a_n_c_e_r._o_rg__|_1_.8_0_0_._2_2_7_.2_3_4_5__

exposed to asbestos), it's important to see a health care provider right away so the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

References

American Society of Clinical Oncology. Mesothelioma: Symptoms and Signs. 07/2017. Accessed at cancer-types/mesothelioma/symptoms-and-signs on October 26, 2018. Bibby AC, Tsim S, Kanellakis N, et al. Malignant pleural mesothelioma: an update on investigation, diagnosis and treatment. European Respiratory Review. 2016;25:472486. Jain SV, Wallen JM. Cancer, Mesothelioma, Malignant. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2018 Jan-2018 Jul 18. Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Mesothelioma Symptoms. Accessed at mesothelioma/symptoms/ on October 26, 2018. National Cancer Institute. Malignant Mesothelioma Symptoms, Tests, Prognosis, and Stages (PDQ?)?Patient Version. July 30, 2018. Accessed at types/mesothelioma/patient/about-mesothelioma-pdq on October 26, 2018.

Last Revised: November 16, 2018

Tests for Malignant Mesothelioma

q Medical history and physical exam q Imaging tests q Blood tests q Tests of fluid and tissue samples q Pulmonary function tests

5

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download