Early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma

Patients with pleural mesothelioma often experience chest discomfort, which occurs after activity, with shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. They also feel a distinct feeling of fullness in the chest, which increases or disappears as the volume decreases when breathing. This symptom is caused by gradual expansion, and most people will develop edema and erosion after forced activity. Appropriate treatment methods should be mastered at ordinary times.

1. Localized type patients may have no obvious discomfort or only chest pain and shortness of breath after activity.

2. Diffuse type patients have more severe chest pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, etc.

3. The movement of the affected side of the chest is limited, full, dull to percussion, and the breath sounds are reduced or absent.

4. There may be enlarged lymph nodes in the supraclavicular fossa and axillary areas.

Fold to edit this section Treatment methods Treatment principles

For localized cases, surgery should be the first choice for treatment, while for diffuse cases, surgery can be combined with chemotherapy.

Medication principles

1. For patients with chest pain, use drugs such as craniotomycin, indomethacin, and pethidine to relieve pain.

2. Doxorubicin is an effective drug for treating this disease and is often used in combination with cisplatin, mitomycin, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, etc.

3.γ-interferon and interleukin are used as auxiliary treatment measures.

4. For patients with excessive pleural effusion, talcum powder, tetracycline, etc. can be used for pleural adhesion.

Prevention and care of pleural mesothelioma is often related to exposure to asbestos. Therefore, paying attention to labor protection and reducing or avoiding contact with asbestos are effective measures to prevent this disease. Localized types are mostly benign and are well treated with surgery. Even for malignant diffuse types, chemotherapy regimens based mainly on doxorubicin can achieve positive results and greatly prolong survival.

Disease diagnosis 1. Symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and weight loss.

2. Pleural effusion and signs of pleural thickening.

3. Pleural nodules are seen on chest X-ray or chest CT.

4. Thoracoscopic examination can reveal nodules and can clamp active tissue to confirm the cause of the disease.

Inspection method auxiliary inspection

Chest X-ray and pleural effusion examination are the initial screening tests for this disease. If possible, chest CT or MRI should be performed; thoracoscopy and biopsy can confirm the diagnosis.