Pleural Mesothelioma
Individuals who are stricken with malignant mesothelioma are most often diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, or mesothelioma that primarily affects the chest wall lining and lungs. On an annual basis, pleural mesothelioma accounts for 75 percent of all new diagnoses, with the remaining 25 percent split between peritoneal, pericardial, and testicular mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma primarily affects the mesothelium that protects the organs and makes it easier for them to move against each other inside the pleura, or chest area. A diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma does not mean that the cancer will remain in the chest area, only that it is where the cancer originated. It is the type of mesothelioma that is most often caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers.
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The primary symptoms that patients must deal with when diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma cancer are pain in the lower back or the side of the chest, shortness of breath and a couch, sweating, fatigue, weight loss, swelling in the face and arms, and muscle weakness among other symptoms.
In addition to CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, a review of a patient’s medical record, and other tests, one of the most important tools used to see if the symptoms being displayed are pleural mesothelioma or another type of lung cancer or condition is to take a biopsy. The usual method for conducting a biopsy in the chest area is to perform a thoracentesis, or the removal of fluid from the chest cavity through a long, hollow needle.
Once the fluid is removed, it can be examined under a microscope by doctors who look for abnormalities that could signify the presence of cancerous cells. In many cases, a sample of the pleural tissue is removed as well to provide additional evidence towards a diagnosis.
An overwhelming majority of pleural mesothelioma cases are not curable. However, palliative care and the use of radiation therapy, surgerical treatments, and chemotherapy can be utilized to prolong a patient’s life and make it as pain-free as possible.
Following any type of malignant mesothelioma diagnosis, especially if it is located in the chest area, there may be a way for patients and their families to receive a mesothelioma settlement from a former employer that regularly exposed them to asbestos. Contact an asbestos attorney for a legal consultation if you have questions about how a mesothelioma diagnosis can be linked to an employer and result in a lawsuit.