Patients usually complain of quick breathing, severe pain in the groin, or recurrent, sharp bouts of back pain. These symptoms are sometimes diagnosed as tuberculosis or acute bronchitis. It never crossed our minds that these patients could be suffering from mesothelioma. For years this tumour was known through medical books only, but now it is appearing patients. It is highly aggressive and spreads rapidly.
Patients usually live six months to two years at most.
According to the NCI's most recent study, this tumour was detected in patients in Egypt for the first time three years ago. About 46 cases were diagnosed as mesothelioma between September 1995 and December 1997. But while cases are rising in Egypt, where asbestos factories are a relatively recent phenomenon, the percentage of mesothelioma patients worldwide is decreasing. The problem, however, is not limited to these areas. Asbestos is used in water pipes, cars and other products used every day by many Egyptians.