Pleural Thickening Warning Signs

Sure, you need to read this article, if you have pain in the chest and/or shortness of breath. Pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer found in the lungs. In this article you will learn more about what pleural mesothelioma is and the warning signs of pleural thickening.

Actually, your lungs have a lining or membrane that surrounds them. This same lining encases most other organs as well. There are two layers in the lining around the lungs. The inner most layer near the lung tissue is the visceral layer. The outer layer is called the parietal layer. To help the two layers slide back and forth over each other there is a lubricating fluid in between them. The sliding action is from our lungs expanding and contracting during breathing.

The cancer begins in these layers in case of pleural mesothelioma. As the cancer spreads it causes the layer to become more restrictive and thus pleural thickening lung begins. As the pleural thickening increases the mesothelioma symptoms become greater. These symptoms include difficulty in breathing, pain in the chest, difficulty in sleeping and abdominal regions, weakness, blood vomits, weight loss, lower back pains, loss of appetite, persistent coughing, hoarseness of voice, sensory loss and difficulty in swallowing. If you have any of these you should consult your doctor, especially if you have a history of exposure to asbestos.

There is a much better chance of treatment, if you go to the doctor as soon as you have any of these symptoms and are diagnosed with mesothelioma. The first step of diagnosis is to have a chest x-ray or a CT scan completed. This will reveal any diffuse pleural thickening. This is followed by a bronchoscopy. A doctor may also elect to perform a biopsy or a thoracoscopy, where a mini camera is inserted inside the body and with that a tissue sample is attained for further diagnosis.

Treatment of mesothelioma is directly proportional to the time of the revelation of the disease. In the early stages the cancer can be removed through surgery and you can possible avoid having radiation treatment and chemotherapy.

Other articles you might like;

• Pharyngeal Cancer
• Tongue Cancer
• Inflammatory Cancer
• Cancer Biomarker
• Cancer Stem Cell

Related posts:

1. Pleural or “pleura”
2. Pleural Mesothelioma
3. Pleural Plaques
4. Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
5. Mesothelioma Symptom

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