Symptoms

• Symptoms depend on where the mesothelioma occurs. When tissue surrounding the lungs are affected, symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, painful breathing, weight loss and lumps of tissue under the skin of the chest. Tissue affected in the stomach would have symptoms of abdominal pain and swelling, weight loss, lumps of tissue in the abdomen, and diarrhea.
  
  

Diagnosis

• A doctor will perform a physical examination to check for any lumps under the skin; he will then order an x-ray or CT scan to look for any abnormalities. A biopsy is the only way to accurately diagnose mesothelioma. Different biopsy procedures are used depending on the affected tissue. When mesothelioma is diagnosed, a doctor will order other tests to determine the stage of the cancer. A CT scan, MRI or PET scan can be used to determine this stage and help decide which treatment to use.
  
  

Anti-angiogenesis Drug Treatment

• Anti-angiogenesis drug treatments are a new approach to attacking mesothelioma cancer tumors. Angiogenesis is a term referred to as the formation of new blood vessels, which the body needs to form in order to carry nutrients and oxygen to new blood cells. Cancer tumors also need new blood vessels in order to grow. Anti-angiogenesis drugs stop the tumor from creating new blood vessels, thereby inhibiting growth. When blood supply is cut off, the tumor stops growing and prevents new tumors from forming. Anti-angiogenesis treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs cannot differentiate between normal cells and malignant cells in the body, so side effects such as stomach upset can occur. Since anti-angiogenesis drugs do not attack healthy cells in the body, less nausea and diarrhea may occur.
  
  

Immunotherapy

• Immunotherapy is another new approach to the treatment of mesothelioma. Immunotherapy uses substances called biological response modifiers, or BRMs, to alter interaction between the body's immune system and the cancer. BMRs can enhance the immune system, eliminate or suppress the body's responses to allow cancer growth, make the immune system better equipped to destroy cancer cells and block or reverse a normal cell from turning into a cancer cell. Immunotherapy can also be found in new cancer vaccines, but most vaccines are still in the experimental phase. Find support and more information at the American Cancer Society website, or phone (800)-227-2345.