Mesothelioma is a deadly type of cancer which affects the lining of most of the internal organs such as the abdomen, lungs, and the heart. It is usually caused due to exposure to asbestos and unfortunately has no known cure as of now. Also, a person suffering from the disease may take around 20-50 years to experience its symptoms.

The life expectancy of such a patient is poor, as there is no cure for the disease. The location of the tumor, the cell type and the stage of the disease are important factors that may help to know whether or not the patient will survive. Other factors such as the patient’s age, overall health and the severity of the condition can also affect the patient’s survival.

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
The symptoms may vary depending on the parts affected by mesothelioma.
When Pleural mesothelioma affects the surrounding tissues of the lungs, the symptoms include;

• Pain during coughing
• Breathlessness
• Unusual weight loss
• Pain in the chest, especially under the rib cage
• Lumps under the chest skin

When Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the abdominal tissues, the following symptoms are seen;

• Pain in the abdomen
• Swelling in the abdomen
• Formation of tissue lumps in the abdomen
• Weight loss

Pericardial mesothelioma ( affects the tissues surrounding the heart) can cause breathing difficulty and chest pain.

Mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis, (affects the surrounding tissues of the testicle) may cause swelling or mass to appear on a testicle initially.

We have compiled a list of five centers that offer care for mesothelioma patients in the country.

• University of Michigan: Thoracic Oncology Clinic
• Markey Cancer Center at University of Kentucky: It offers lung and thoracic cancer treatment
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts: They have multiple specialists that focus directly on mesothelioma and other asbestos-related and pleural conditions.
• Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA: They offer only outpatient care and also run the IMP, and Adult Survivorship Program.
• Ochsner Cancer Institute on New Orleans, LA- This offers multidisciplinary care. They have over 900 physicians working across 40 health centers. Also, they work on over 90 specialties, and mesothelioma is one of them.