How Does Mesothelioma Affect Your Body?

Mesothelioma can cause fluid buildup in your heart, lungs, and abdomen; pain in your chest, stomach, and back; and flu-like symptoms. It can also bring on weight loss and fatigue. Although mesothelioma is a challenging disease to manage, knowing how it will impact your body may better help prepare you for the road ahead.

Head and Brain

Mesothelioma can affect a patient’s mental stability leading to depression, anxiety, and sadness.
Confusion, forgetfulness, and brain fog are common complaints for mesothelioma patients on chemotherapy. This is sometimes referred to as “chemo brain.”
Patients may experience general malaise from mesothelioma, including flu-like symptoms such as chills, fever, night sweats, headache, runny nose, congestion, sore throat, and cough.
Pericardial mesothelioma patients can feel lightheaded or dizzy.

Lungs

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the asbestos cancer, found in the outer lining of the lungs and primarily causing respiratory issues.
Fluid builds up between the lungs and chest, known as pleural effusion, impeding the patient’s breathing by limiting the expansion of the lung. This results in chest pain and a shortage of oxygen that leads to shortness of breath and fatigue.
Infection of the airways and lungs, often caused by bronchitis and pneumonia, is accompanied by excessive coughing, a tight feeling in the chest, increased rate of breathing, and wheezing. These infections are life-threatening to mesothelioma patients and require immediate medical attention.
Constant and acute coughing can be painful and exhausting.

Chest

Mesothelioma tumors present as a large mass that blends in with healthy tissue and may lead to pain under the rib cage and/or unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on the chest.
Over half of pleural mesothelioma patients suffer pain in the lower, back, and sides of the chest caused by pressure from the tumors.
For surgical patients, the pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) or extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) procedures result in significant pain from the incision made on the side of the chest (thorax) to get to the lungs. Pain in the chest area and incision site can last for several weeks or for months after surgery.

Heart

Pericardial mesothelioma attacks the pericardium, or the tissue sac that contains the heart and the primary blood vessels. Pericardial mesothelioma patients are said to experience the most severe cancer pain.
Chest pain and fatigue after exertion are common among pericardial mesothelioma patients.
The heart struggles to fully expand from the inflammation and can be constricted. Heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, and heart murmurs are all symptoms.
Fluid can build in the heart, causing the heart to try to work even harder and resulting in overall fatigue.

Back

Mesothelioma can irritate nerves throughout the chest or the lining of the lungs that can be felt as pain in the back.
Mesothelioma that has metastasized to bones in the spine can lead to back pain.

Stomach

Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen and can cause significant discomfort in the abdominal area.
Patients can experience abdominal pain and tenderness as a result of the tumor, swelling, and surgery.
Nearly all patients suffer from fluid accumulation, which leads to uncomfortable abdominal swelling or distension.
Lumps of tissue in the abdomen may be noticed.
Weight loss is often experienced by patients of all types of mesothelioma.

Arms

Weight loss is common for mesothelioma patients and is often noticed in the arms.
Neuropathy (see Feet) can also affect a mesothelioma patient’s hands.

Legs

Mesothelioma patients are especially susceptible to blood clots, or deep vein thrombosis, due to the high doses of chemotherapy, limited mobility from fatigue and breathing difficulties, and the invasive surgeries that require significant time confined to a bed. Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body and most often is found in the legs.
Pericardial mesothelioma patients often experience swelling of the legs, ankles, and feet due to fluid retention.

Feet

Neuropathy, also called peripheral neuropathy, is weakness, numbness, tingling, or burning often felt in the feet and hands caused by nerve damage. Neuropathy often results from chemotherapy treatments for mesothelioma. Neuropathy can impair a patient’s ability to walk, and a cane may be needed for stability.

Testicles

Tunica Vaginalis (testicular) mesothelioma is the rarest form of asbestos cancer and is found in the tissues surrounding the testes.
A mass in the testicle, accumulation of fluid in the scrotum and testicular swelling are common symptoms of this cancer.

Psychological Effects of Mesothelioma

Dealing with the physical effects of mesothelioma is hard enough, but managing family and financial issues at the same time can lead to additional harmful health effects from the stress. A stressed patient is less likely to respond to cancer treatments and could experience a further decline in health.

Physicians believe that a positive outlook and affirming thoughts can result in the improvement in a patient’s health. Many mesothelioma patients try to look beyond the disease and focus on what they can control.

Some ways to ease stress include:

Build a strong emotional connection with your medical team.
Be an empowered patient by taking on treatment in collaboration with your doctor.
Find emotional support from loved ones, friends, or through support groups.
Take on a daily meditation ritual, listen to soothing music, or read poetry or empowering quotes.
Seek comfort from your pet or a therapy pet.

Get Legal Help in Your Fight Against Mesothelioma

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, legal help is available. Contact us today to learn about your legal options for pursuing the compensation you deserve.

Father to Amanda Stetler, Faces of Mesothelioma Writer, Loses Battle with Mesothelioma

Amanda allowed us inside her family’s life, through her blog posts on “Faces of Mesothelioma,” while her father David fought pleural mesothelioma. Sadly, he passed away this week after more than two years of dealing with the cancer.

David was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in January 2013. He traveled to Philadelphia where he received care at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman Center. He underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy surgery and weeks of rehabilitation before he found himself itching to get back to work and on with his life.

Trying to put the cancer behind him, David proudly celebrated his 60^th birthday in July, 2013 with his family and close friends. The sand and sun of the Jersey shore afforded the family a nice break before David returned to UPenn for chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

In addition, David went on to participate in an immunotherapy clinical trial and underwent more rounds of chemotherapy and radiation while trying to keep his mesothelioma at bay.

“Dad continues to amaze me with his will to fight against this nasty cancer,” said Amanda after her father’s last hospitalization as he recovered from dehydration.

Throughout his treatments, David tried hard to maintain normalcy and be “his hard-working self,” as Amanda said. Whenever he was able, David was out in the yard cutting the grass, repairing things around the house, working on his vehicles, or even stacking wood.

Amanda and her father had the chance to enjoy some time alone just several months ago at their favorite vacation spot—the Jersey shore. “We will both cherish this father/daughter vacation week forever,” Amanda wrote about their time together.

Amanda and her family had planned a spaghetti dinner on March 21 in support of David. The event will still be held beginning at 4:00pm at the Williams Township Fire Co #1.

“The dinner will still go on despite the heartbreaking news of my father losing his battle to Meso this past Monday,” said Amanda. “It is now a celebration of his life.”

David leaves behind his wife Annie, his daughter, Amanda, and two sons, Andrew and Adam.

The Mesothelioma Help community sends our condolences to the Stetler family and wishes them much strength during this very difficult time.

Please take the time to read about Amanda and her father’s journey with mesothelioma through Faces of Mesothelioma.

What are Some of the Preoperative Tests for Mesothelioma Patients?

Many mesothelioma patients have surgery to remove tumors, parts of tumors, or parts of organs that have been affected by the disease. Before any surgery, however, there are necessary tests to determine if the disease has spread, whether it has advanced to another stage, and the size of the tumor being targeted.

Accurate staging is important for deciding on mesothelioma treatment.

Advanced Diagnostic Tools Let Physicians See Organ Damage from Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma, which invades the linings around the lungs, is the most common form of mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma, which is rarer, invades the linings around the heart.

Surgeons will often perform mediastinoscopy on patients with these kinds of mesothelioma. This is a minimally invasive procedure where a small incision is made in the chest so that a scope can be inserted to look in the area around the lungs or heart. A needle can be used to remove tissue and fluids for testing to help determine the disease stage.

Pericardioscopy is another minimally invasive surgery used to determine the extent that the heart linings have been damaged. A surgeon makes a small cut in the skin over the heart and places a small tube with a camera inside. Cell samples are often removed during pericardioscopy.

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a newer treatment that doesn’t require an incision. Instead, a physician places a bronchoscope, with a special endoscope attached to it that is outfitted with an ultrasound processor and fine-gauge aspiration needle, down the patient’s throat and through the trachea. EBUS lets physicians see more of the airways, lungs, and smaller lymph nodes than they would through mediastinoscopy. Views are clearer and illuminate areas missed in the mediastinoscopy.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) might be used on patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the linings of abdominal organs. During EUS, a tube with an endoscope is placed down the throat or through the rectum to view the digestive tract. A transducer on the tip of the endoscope provides higher-quality images than those obtained through traditional ultrasound. It can also get closer to the affected organs and provide more detail on lymph node activity.

What Do These Tests Show?

Physicians order these tests to get closer views and details about organ damage and changes in lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes are small glands found throughout the body that are a key part of the immune system. The largest lymph nodes are located in the neck, around the groin, and in the armpits. Smaller ones are found throughout the body.They send lymph fluids around the body to trap bacteria, viruses, and other threats and send lymphocytes—special white blood cells—to destroy them. They also carry nutrients to different parts of the body and help remove waste.

When lymph nodes are overwhelmed by disease, infection, or an injury, they become swollen in the affected area. This swelling is an important sign that a disease may have taken hold or spread.

Mesothelioma attacks the linings that protect organs, specifically, mesothelial cells on the inside of these linings. These cells provide lubricating fluids that let these organs move and function smoothly. Asbestos fibers that are inhaled or swallowed attach to these linings and damage the mesothelial cells.

SU2C Dream Teams and Industry Collaboration May Bring Treatments to Mesothelioma Patients More Quickly Than Ever Before

Organizers of the Stand Up To Cancer Scientific Summit 2013 are proudly boasting the successes of the Dream Teams funded through the organization. Formed in 2008 to “accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now,” Stand Up To Cancer funds teams of scientists to collaborate on cancer research projects that are critically important for finding a cure for mesothelioma and other incurable cancers.

“The results are in – it has been phenomenally successful,” said John A. Glaspy, M.D., M.P.H., Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, SU2C Executive Management Committee, of the conference and the success of the teams.

The Summit was an opportunity for the best and brightest minds in research to gather in one place and exchange ideas. Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D, Nobel Laureate, Koch Institue for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee Chairperson, said of the summit: “It’s the place I want to be, the place I want to work, the place I want to collaborate.”

And, “Everyone who is not here is trying to figure out how to be here next year,” added Craig B. Thompson, M.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, SU2C Pancreatic Cancer Dream Team Leader. The reason, he said, is that “SU2C model’s vitality is evident in the Summit.”

The teams are working together, as opposed to competing, towards defeating cancer. The Dream Teams were formed to focus on a specific disease or a specific research method, but everyone agrees that through unprecedented collaboration the pharmaceutical companies can now get new therapies to patients more quickly than ever before.

In fact, according to William B. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee Vice Chairperson, “the speed of progress is truly remarkable.” Nelson said that in the past it could take upwards of twelve years and a billion dollars before any patients could benefit from a finding. Now, he says, the time is as short as three years.

Lewis C. Cantley, Ph.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, SU2C PI3K Dream Team Leader, agrees. He explained that the Dream Teams discovered that when two drugs, from two different pharmaceutical companies, were combined they were “dramatically more effective” than individually. The researchers were able to convince the pharmaceutical companies to combine the drugs. He said that this collaboration resulted in accelerated results that “set a record that will be hard to break.”

SU2C has gained popularity through the televised fundraisers held every two years featuring live performances of recording artists and celebrities from film, television and sports who present key information to viewers about cancer. Cancer survivors are also featured as they document their journey through their diagnosis and treatment.

More than $262 million has been raised for cancer research since the first telethon aired in 2008. Since then, SU2C has made grants to nine multidisciplinary Dream Teams of researchers as well as to 26 young innovative scientists who are undertaking the fight to end cancer. The SU2C dream teams “pursue the most promising research, accelerating the discovery of new therapies for cancer patients and/or advancing efforts in cancer prevention research.”

One of the Dream Teams, the epigenetics dream team, comprised of Johns Hopkins researchers, was initially funded through SU2C with a $6 million grant. The team focuses on discovering new ways to eliminate cancer cells through the use of epigenetics. The genetics of cancer is important, but how the genetics are packaged and how the genes are turned on or off through chemical switches, known as epigenetics, is the primary focus of the research.

Stephen B. Baylin, M.D., Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins, the Epigenetics Dream Team co-leader, said, “We have had extraordinarily promising results. If all this [continued results] comes to pass, then we will have suggested a major change in treatment for advanced NSCLC.”

Mesothelioma patients struggling to find effective treatments for the incurable, asbestos-caused cancer stand to benefit greatly from the amazing results of the SU2C Dream Teams. Continued funding, support and collaboration of these teams bring hope to the millions of Americans who battle cancer each year.

Sources:

epigenetics dream team
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/research_clinical_trials/research/su2c/what_is_epigenetics.html
Stand Up To Cancer Scientific Summit 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcWgDf5jdvE&feature=youtu.be

Presiding Officer Enrolled in Experimental Treatment for Mesothelioma

The leader of the Suffolk County Legislature, William Lindsay, will begin next week an experimental treatment for mesothelioma overseen by the National Institutes of Health, according to Long Island Newsday.

Lindsay, a former electrician and official with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was diagnosed in 2012 with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The cancer diagnosis came soon after he had been elected to a seventh term as the legislature’s presiding officer.

Lindsay worked as an electrician for 15 years and served for 23 years as a business agent and business manager of Local 25 of the IBEW. As an electrician, he had to scrape off the asbestos fireproofing from a beam before attaching electrical conduits to it, according to Long Island Politics. Electricians are among the occupations with a higher risk of occupational exposure to asbestos and higher rates of mesothelioma.

Lindsay has been receiving treatment at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center since undergoing surgery last May to remove a diseased lung. “We don’t realize how lucky we are, being in the New York vicinity, to be near some of the greatest hospitals and physicians, probably in the world,” Lindsay said, according to minutes of a Suffolk County Legislature meeting.

Lindsay is 67 years old. Many victims of mesothelioma are in their 60s and 70s when they are diagnosed with the disease. The symptoms of mesothelioma typically take 20 years to 50 years to appear after exposure. He will receive one week of treatment followed by a 21-day break, then another week of treatment.

More information about New York Mesothelioma.

Category: Patients