Detecting cancer as early as possible is important for improving a person’s prognosis. In some cases, detecting cancer early means being able to treat it effectively, rendering it unable to grow or spread further. In other cases, like in the case of fatal mesothelioma, an earlier diagnosis can lead to more favorable treatments and an extended lifespan, in addition to higher quality of life.

The trouble is that mesothelioma is sometimes very hard to diagnose, especially early on. But why is this the case, and what can you do to get your diagnosis earlier?

A Primer on Mesothelioma

Let’s start with a brief primer on mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive variety of cancer that almost exclusively arises as a result of asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a hazardous material that wasn’t always recognized as hazardous; because this material contains many microscopic, jagged fibers, it’s dangerous to work with without proper protective gear. If you inhale or swallow these fibers, they can eventually trigger the development of mesothelioma.

The symptoms of mesothelioma vary depending on the type of mesothelioma you’re experiencing – and even then, they can vary from person to person in how they present themselves. For example, pleural mesothelioma, or mesothelioma of the lungs, is the most common type, presenting symptoms like persistent coughing, fatigue, and difficulty breathing.

Generally, mesothelioma is considered fatal. Many conventional types of cancer treatment aren’t effective against mesothelioma – and the disease spreads quite aggressively.

So why is it that mesothelioma is sometimes so hard to diagnose?

Symptoms

One of the biggest explanations is that the symptoms of mesothelioma are hard to identify. In the early stages of the development of mesothelioma, symptoms may be barely noticeable. We’ve all had days where we’ve coughed slightly more than usual, or when we have felt a bit of extra fatigue. Most of us don’t think anything of it; sometimes, these symptoms arise because of a common infectious illness, like the cold, and other times, they arise because of a bad night of sleep or extra stress.

Unfortunately, by the time symptoms become more severe and prominent, the phase for early diagnosis has already elapsed. Oftentimes, patients only become aware that something is wrong with them when symptoms begin to greatly negatively impact their daily life – or when the symptoms become truly troubling, like when they start coughing up blood.

Latency Period

Another explanation is that mesothelioma often develops only after an extended period of latency. After initial asbestos exposure, it can take 20 years or longer for any symptoms to show up. By this time, people who have been exposed to asbestos are long separated from the environment where they were exposed. Additionally, the development phase is so gradual and so spread out that many patients struggle to identify the changes within themselves.

Similarities With Other Cancer and Rarity

Mesothelioma is sometimes missed by cancer specialists because it’s incredibly rare and because it shares similarities with other types of cancer. These days, asbestos is very rarely used, and most people are at least passively aware of the dangers of working with asbestos. As a result, there are only a few thousand new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed every year.

If you present to a cancer specialist with symptoms of lung cancer, they probably won’t even consider mesothelioma a possibility unless you proactively announce that you’ve been exposed to asbestos in the past. In many cases, this is a reasonable assumption, given the rarity of this disease. But it causes many mesothelioma cases to go unnoticed.

Need for Biopsy

It’s sometimes possible to detect mesothelioma, and other types of cancer, with the use of X-rays, CT scans, and other imaging techniques. However, in many cases, a full biopsy is required to properly diagnose mesothelioma. This can make it harder to diagnose mesothelioma – and it also makes the process take longer than necessary.

When to See a Doctor

At what point should you consider seeing a doctor about symptoms you believe are associated with mesothelioma?

·       Suspicion of asbestos exposure. If you know or suspect that you’ve been exposed to asbestos, you should be extra cautious and prudent in monitoring your own physical health symptoms.

·       Persistent symptoms. Having a strange cough for a few days is probably nothing to be concerned about, but if your symptoms persist for weeks to months, you should see a medical professional.

·       Worsening symptoms. Similarly, you should pay close attention to any symptoms that seem to be growing worse over time.

Unfortunately, there’s still a lot we don’t understand about mesothelioma and other types of aggressive cancers. For the foreseeable future, it’s probably going to continue to be hard to diagnose mesothelioma. But hopefully, in time, researchers will better understand this disease and be much better able to catch it early and address it.