Mesothelioma Health Center

How can asbestos-related disease or harm be determined?

• You most likely know best if you have experienced exposure to asbestos. If you have worked with the material, lived with an individual who has whether that be a spouse, partner, parent or relative, you may have experienced asbestos exposure. Symptoms of asbestos-related diseases include shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarseness, a persistent cough, blood coughed up from lungs, pain or tightening in the chest, difficulty swallowing, swelling in the neck or face, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue or anemia. Your doctor will conduct a thorough physical examination to look for any obvious abnormalities with your health. This may include a chest x-ray and lung function tests which could show signs of lung disease and asbestos fibers in the lungs. A CT scan or a lung biopsy may also be utilized to detect asbestos-related abnormalities.

What treatment options are available for recurrent malignant mesothelioma?

• Recurrent means the disease has returned or come again. Treatment for recurrent mesothelioma often includes and relies on clinical trials. These clinical trials may involve treatment options such as biologic therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Biologic therapy uses the patient's own immune system to fight cancer with the assistance of substances made within the body or in a laboratory to boost, direct or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells either by killing cells or by stopping them from dividing and multiplying.