Asbestos is a type of naturally occurring mineral that was, for many years mixed with cement, plaster and paint and used in the interiors of houses.
Due to the way that asbestos acts once inside the body it is usually many years later that asbestos related Pleural Mesothelioma is noticed. Pleural Mesothelioma is normally diagnosed when there is a change in the thin layer of membranes that are in the chest. When this pleural lining thickens or starts to calcify it is known as pleural plaques. Pleural Mesothelioma may begin in the pleura but it can soon radiate outwards to the abdomen, the heart and the outer wall of the chest. When this happens and a diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma is made the prognosis is not good and many patients with Pleural Mesothelioma are not expected to live much longer than 12 months or so.
When Pleural Mesothelioma is suspected early enough the patient can be treated and this can help them to live much longer than someone who has been diagnosed with full blown Pleural Mesothelioma.
Omen of the symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma are pain in the lower back, shortness of breath and pain towards the side of the chest. Some people may have problems when swallowing, have a cough that will not go away and in some cases a patient might even be coughing up blood.
. If the disease is caught quickly enough surgery can help to remove the pleura that are affected and the patient will live for longer than someone with advanced Pleural Mesothelioma.