Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma grows within the chest cavity, sometimes involving the lung. Metastases can occur in any organ, including the brain, and are much more common than previously thought.
Mesothelioma starts very slowly with the most usual symptom being a persistent chest pain. On occasion the pain is accompanied by severe breathing problems caused by a fluid accumulation in the pleural space (pleural effusion). Cough, fever and some weight loss are not uncommon. The single most valuable test to reveal the extent of pleural mesothelioma is a CT scan.
Mesothelioma can not be diagnosed by serum markers but they are used to check for elevated levels of hyaluronic acid which can be used to differntiate it from other tumors or to see how treatments are working.
The average survival rate for pleural mesothelioma is about 17 months. The three-year rate is ten per cent while the five-year survival rate is around five per cent.
Want more? Click here
