Mesothelioma Stages

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by exposure to the natural mineral, asbestos. Like all cancers, mesothelioma also progressively leads into various stages or levels of the disease. In other words, stage refers to the extent of cancer spread in the body. Prognosis or treatment depends on the stage of mesothelioma. Staging is ascertained by tests such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans. The Butchart System is most used by doctors to describe stages of mesothelioma cancer. It is based on the extent of the primary tumor mass that is found in the patient’s body and is defined from Stage 1 to Stage 4.

Stages of Mesothelioma

Stage I of mesothelioma: In this nascent stage, mesothelioma is detected on one side of the chest only; it is not yet growing into the chest wall.

Stage II of mesothelioma: When the cancer begins to invade the chest wall or involves the esophagus (food passage connecting the throat to the stomach), heart, or has grown into the pleura on the other side of the chest, it is said to be of the second stage. The lymph nodes in the chest may also be involved.

Stage III of mesothelioma: In the third stage, mesothelioma is big enough to go through the diaphragm into the peritoneum (lining of the abdominal cavity) or has spread to lymph nodes beyond those in the chest.

Stage IV of mesothelioma: In the final stage of the disease, mesothelioma is found to have spread through the bloodstream to other organs (metastases).

Mesothelioma Stages Symptoms

Symptoms that manifest at each stage of the deadly cancer called mesothelioma are different. At stage 1, the cancer is localized and remains restricted to one small area of the body, and has not spread to other locations. For example, in Stage 1 pleural mesothelioma the cancer is located in just one section of one lung; this maybe either the left lung or the right one. Some common mesothelioma symptoms include:

• Persistent dry or raspy cough (typically non-productive, meaning there is little or no phlegm)
• Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
• Difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia)
• Night sweats or fever
• Unexplained weight loss of 10 percent or more
• Fatigue

As the disease advances, the symptoms would also include:

• Persistent pain in the chest or rib area, or painful breathing
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea) that occurs even when at rest
• The appearance of lumps under the skin on the chest

In peritoneal mesothelioma, the cancer may be found on one side of the abdomen, and typical symptom is swelling or pain in the abdomen, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting and appearance of lumps under the skin on the abdomen in advanced stages.

Pericardial mesothelioma is characterized by irregular heartbeat, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, fever or night sweats and generalized fatigue.

Mesothelioma Treatment by Stage

While treatment is available to all patients of mesothelioma, the response to the treatment differs depending on the stage of the disease. Early detection of the malady offers a better prognosis and many more treatment options. However, the particularly long latency period of the disease is such that early detection is a rarity and mostly the mesothelioma diagnosis is made when the disease is advanced and offers little hope for recovery. Surgery to remove tumors and any surrounding tissue, followed by radiation therapy or mesothelioma chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells are standard procedures adopted across all stages. The Stage 1 patients end up having a longer period of respite before the relapse sets in.

Malignant Mesothelioma Stages

Malignancy is treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. While these are not cures, removing cancer cells by cutting them out and then killing remaining cancerous cells to stop further cell division and growth by chemotherapy and radiation treatments are the only options available to prolong life. The patient’s discomfort and pain and side effects like nausea and hair loss are addressed by palliative measures. Experimental treatments offered in the studies testing up-and-coming drugs or procedures called mesothelioma clinical trials may also offer options.

Pleural Mesothelioma Stages

Pleural mesothelioma is the most studied type and the Butchart staging system generally describes this type. In Stage 1 of the Butchart system, either the left or right side of the lung is affected by cancer.