Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Sufferers of Mesothelioma can experience numerous symptoms and the impact of these vary according to the type of disease, how much the disease has developed, the general age and well being of the patient, the treatment given and the patients response to it.

• Symptoms for pleural Mesothelioma include shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, coughing, pain, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss, emotional reactions, sweating, constipation, nausea and vomiting.
• Symptoms for peritoneal Mesothelioma can include swelling and pain the abdomen, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss, emotional reactions, sweating, constipation, nausea and vomiting

Pleural Mesothelioma and Shortness of Breath

In the chest the pleura, which is the thin transparent membrane that lines the chest wall and then doubles back to cover the lungs, produces fluid. This fluid lubricates the space between the two layers of pleural linings, one of which is next to the lung (visceral or inner layer) and the other next to the chest walls (the parietal or outer layer). This allows the two layers to slide comfortably over each other as a person breathes in and out.

Pleural Mesothelioma, however, causes the pleura to thicken and can result in several litres of fluid collecting between the two layers of the pleura. This makes it more difficult to expand the lung and causes a feeling of breathlessness for the sufferer. This is known as a pleural effusion which can also result in pain in the chest for the sufferer and is often one of the early signs of the disease.

Drainage of the fluid often brings rapid relief but as pleural effusion can recur, and it becomes progressively more difficult to drain as the fluid becomes stickier, a procedure called pleurodoesis may be performed.

Loss of Chest Wall Cavity

This can occur because the Mesothelioma attaches itself to the chest wall, which then reduced the ability of the patient to move his/her chest, and therefore makes it more difficult to breath.

To assist patients some self help techniques have been developed to assist them to breathe more easily, see below (*)

Loss of Lung Volume

This is when Mesothelioma, which is affecting the lung function, grows into the lung tissue and reduces its ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Sometimes surgical removal of the tumour can help this but to aid symptoms, patients are advised to adopt self-help techniques – see (*) below.

Pericardial Effusion

This is when fluid in the membrane, which contains the heart, is affected by the fluid produces by the tumour. This can often be drained but can cause breathlessness for the patient.

To assist patients some self help techniques have been developed to assist them to breathe more easily, see below.

Self Help Techniques

• Sit up and lean forward with arms supported, for example on a table
• Stand and lean forward – gaining support, if necessary from a table or chair positioned in front of the patient
• Sit at a table with head resting on pillows or forearms or stand upright with hips and back leaning against a wall
• Cool air directed at the face via a fan may help or sitting by an open window, this usually avoids the need for oxygen to be given to the patient
• Find out about breathing control techniques, which can avoid the distressing effects of a shortness of breath.

Other Symptoms Associated with Pleural Mesothelioma

Coughing

If a patient develops a cough it is important initially to establish, via a chest x-ray or CT scan, whether this is as a result of an infection or heart problems in which case treatment may have to be adapted accordingly.

If these conditions are not present, and the patient continues to suffer from a cough, it may be necessary to offer treatment for the cough itself. This can include giving codeine, pholcodine linctus or an oral morphine solution or, in some cases, capsules that reduce the thickness of phlegm. There are also a number of other drugs that can be administered dependant of the type of cough being experienced.

Patients may also consider using pillows to prop themselves up to relieve the distress of coughing or try inhaling steam. They are also advised to drink hot drinks on a regular basis to aid hydration.

Unfortunately some people with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, bronchitis or heart conditions that already suffer from coughing may also have Mesothelioma and it is important that they consent to be treated for these conditions alongside their treatment for Mesothelioma.

Other Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Pain

People suffering from pleural Mesothelioma will often experience pain in one side of the chest and sometimes in the shoulder or back. It might be made worse when trying to move or breath deeply

Treating pain will depend on how it is affecting the patient and the severity of it. Medication such as ibuprofen or paracetamol may bring some relief but often patients have to consider taking stronger drugs such as morphine or morphine-like drugs, such as opioids, which will be administered in controlled doses.

Many patients will also be able to receive palliative care from pain specialists who will be able to offer pain control techniques to assist the patient for example the use of a TENS (tanscutaneous electrical nerve stimulator), which can alleviate nerve pain.

In extreme cases techniques that destroy nerves that are causing pain may be used these can include nerve blocks, epidural infusions, and even destruction of the spinal cord nervous tissue.

Fatigue

Most cancer sufferers experience fatigue and in some cases this can be as a result of anaemia or poor eating that has developed because of the cancer and can be easily treated.

In pleural Mesothelioma fatigue can come as a result of excessive coughing or breathlessness which could be relieved, to some extent, by treatment being given or by self-help techniques to aid breathing. .

Often to counteract fatigue it is necessary for patients to make readjustments to their lifestyle and by starting to use aids and appliances in the home which offer greater help in day-to-day living.

Loss of Appetite and Weight Loss

This is another symptom of most cancers including Mesothelioma. Not only do sufferers have a reduced appetite but also experience a change in taste. Often the result is a substantial loss in weight and general fitness.

It is advised that sufferers are not placed on special diets or force fed to counteract the loss of appetite but instead encouraged to take nutritional supplements or possibly steroids to encourage appetite.

Sweating

Unfortunately many cancer patients suffer the inconvenience and embarrassment of sweating, sometimes excessively. Many are advised to wear loose cotton clothing and bedclothes and to use a fan where possible. Medication is available to some patients and trails are continuing to develop steroids to eases the problem for patients.

Emotional Reactions

With Mesothelioma many sufferers, and their families, not only have to cope with the distress of finding out that cancer is present, but also the fact that it may have been as a result of exposure to asbestos which they did not know posed a threat to their health.

In addition, the symptoms and treatment experienced by sufferers can be distressing for them, and for their loved ones, as well as the knowledge that the disease is, in fact, incurable.

It is not surprising that many sufferers experience anxiety and often require the support of their family and specialist nurses to help them during treatment of the disease. Sometimes meeting other people with the disease has proved to help sufferers; this can often be arranged through specialist nurses who treat Mesothelioma patients.

Where the sufferer believes they have contracted the disease through the negligent acts of others there may be some relief that compensation may be available to their loved ones by contacting a specialist solicitor, like Irwin Mitchell, who handles compensation claims of this kind.

Constipation

Constipation often affects sufferers due to medications being taken and the changes in eating habits and general physical activity.  Using laxatives or drinking more water may help sufferers and advise about this can be sought from doctors or specialist nurses treating the patient.

Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy and other medication and often effect cancer sufferers. Careful monitoring of a patients condition is necessary in such cases, however, as this symptom can affect the absorption of medications and their effect and, in some cases, it may be necessary to adapt treatment to take this into account.

Contents