Learn the Truth About Pleural Mesothelioma

There are a few different kinds of mesothelioma. Most all of the different forms are misunderstood. This is partly to blame for the fact that mesothelioma as a whole is a seldom talked about disease. Often the different kinds of mesothelioma are called by the wrong names and misdiagnosed even by doctors. Of the different kinds of mesothelioma which are misdiagnosed, pleural mesothelioma is one of the most often misdiagnosed. This is due in part to the way the symptoms masquerade as other things. It is also in part due to where the cancerous tissues of the disease lie.

Misconception about Pleural Mesothelioma

The first thing you need to know about this kind of mesothelioma is that while it is a cancer that affects lung capacity and breathing, it is not lung cancer. This disease does not start in the lungs. It starts in other tissues and grows in the pleura. This is the area which surrounds the lungs. One of the things which causes people to call this lung cancer is because it has all the same symptoms as lung cancer and the fact that the cancer affects the lung tissue causes people to misname the disease.

Where the Cancer Affects

While pleural mesothelioma affects the capacity of both of the lungs, it causes more damage to the right lung. This is because the majority of the pleura resides on the right side of the lungs. Additionally, the disease causes more damage to the tissues in the lower parts of the lungs. While there is no definitive reason for this, it is believed the reason for it is because of the weight of asbestos. It is believed that the heavy material which caused the disease in the first place settles into the bottom of the lungs which causes the majority of the issues there.

Symptoms of the Disease

For the majority of the time the cancer is growing in your body, you will never know it is there. It is only once pleural mesothelioma has taken complete control that you will feel the first symptoms. You will feel shortness of breath and possible dizziness. You may even experience coughing and pain in the chest cavity. Some patients have even reported that they have lost weight due to loss of appetite due to not eating.

Prognosis of Pleural Mesothelioma

This is the most common kind of mesothelioma as it constitutes 75% of all mesothelioma cases. Those who are diagnosed with this cancer have an average survival rate of 242 days. While the prognosis currently means if you are diagnosed with the cancer that you will die, there is still research which is going on to try and change this fact. Research and education have been the biggest things which have stood in the way of the research coming on line so that the disease can be changed from a death sentence into a tragic, yet curable disease. That day is approaching, but only time will tell how long.