Cancer is a deadly disease, no matter the variation. Although there are many different varieties, many of them function in similar ways. Across the board, it’s better to catch cancer as early in its development as possible. This way, you’ll have a better likelihood of eliminating the cancer and preventing it from spreading or growing.
However, mesothelioma is a particularly difficult cancer to detect early, making it difficult for patients to get the full benefits of early detection.
Why is this the case? And is there anything we can do about it?
The Basics of Mesothelioma
In case you aren’t familiar with this disease, mesothelioma is a kind of cancer. It’s a very rare type of cancer because it only emerges in response to exposure to a hazardous material known as asbestos. Asbestos was once a common construction material, praised for its inexpensiveness and many practical benefits. However, we’ve come to realize that this material is full of tiny, jagged fibers that can lodge themselves into the mesothelial lining of vital organs.
In many cases, these lodged fibers can cause inflammation, and eventually trigger the development of mesothelioma. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs. However, it’s also possible to develop mesothelioma in the abdomen, the heart, and other organs.
The Problem With Symptoms
Mesothelioma is hard to detect early, in part, because of the types of symptoms associated with this disease. Most of these symptoms have considerable overlap with symptoms of other illnesses, including basic ones like the common cold. There are some symptoms that we experience periodically as a routine course of life. For example, you may not notice that you’re coughing a bit more than usual or that your physical fatigue doesn’t have a practical explanation.
Because of this, many people experiencing early symptoms of mesothelioma don’t notice them, or don’t realize they should act on them. In some ways, this is logical, as it’s much more common for you to have a regular morning coughing fit than to have a very rare type of cancer.
The Latency Period
The latency period is another consideration. Mesothelioma doesn’t develop immediately. In fact, it doesn’t even develop over the course of months. For most people, mesothelioma takes years, or even decades to develop. You might have been exposed to asbestos 40 years ago or longer, and you may not have any apparent symptoms, but mesothelioma could be developing nonetheless.
First, this lulls people into a false sense of security, making them believe there’s no reason to be examined. Second, this makes people more likely to forget that they were exposed or could have been exposed to asbestos in the past, since it was so long ago.
Ambiguous Potential Exposure
On that front, mesothelioma is also hard to detect early because not everyone knows how, when, or in what ways they were exposed to asbestos. Although this material has largely been discontinued, people can and do still encounter it. And there’s always a possibility that you were exposed to asbestos unwittingly many years or even decades ago. Accordingly, many people at risk for mesothelioma don’t even know it.
Overlap With Other Types of Cancer
Even oncologists sometimes struggle to identify mesothelioma early, in part because it shares commonalities with so many other types of cancer. A single misidentification could set your treatment back or lead it in the wrong direction.
Diagnosis Issues
To confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis, there must be a biopsy. There are many types of tests and imaging scans that can give medical professionals valuable information about what you’re experiencing, but only a biopsy can confirm mesothelioma. This makes it hard for people to get the information they need to make better medical decisions for themselves.
When to See a Doctor
When should you see a doctor about a potential mesothelioma diagnosis?
- You suspect asbestos exposure. If you think you might have been exposed to asbestos in the past, you need to assume that you’re at risk for mesothelioma and act accordingly.
- You notice unusual symptoms that are hard to explain. If you notice any unusual symptoms, such as persistent coughing, physical fatigue, or swelling that won’t go away, and there is no alternative explanation for these symptoms, you should consult with a medical professional.
- Your symptoms are getting worse. This is especially true if your symptoms are becoming more frequent and/or more severe.
Most people will never have to worry about mesothelioma because they’ve never been exposed to asbestos. But if there’s even a small possibility that you’ve been exposed to asbestos, you owe it to yourself to proactively monitor for symptoms that should prompt you to take action.
