how long did it take for symptoms to show up after your exposure

I worked at Johns-Manville from '78 to '85, so similar timeframe to you basically. My diagnosis came in November of this year, which means I'm looking at roughly 40 years between my last exposure and when they found the cancer. The latency thing is real and honestly it's the hardest part to wrap your head around.

What I've been reading through is that peritoneal (mine) and pleural tend to have slightly different timelines, but the range is just all over the place. I found a study from 2019 that tracked cases and the median latency was around 32-40 years, but some people showed up at 15 and others at 50+. So that 25 year gap you're looking at before symptoms isn't unusual, it's actually kind of in the ballpark.

The thing that got me was realizing my symptoms probably started earlier than I thought. I kept a symptom journal going back through my medical records and there were things I brushed off. Acid reflux that wouldn't quit, some abdominal bloating I attributed to diet, fatigue I blamed on just being in my sixties. Once they diagnosed me I went back and was like oh, that was probably November 2023 when stuff really started. So maybe it wasn't just the last 6 months for you either.

Have you had imaging done to check anywhere else? They caught mine during a CT scan for something totally unrelated. I'm trying to get a handle on whether it's just localized or if there's anything brewing in the peritoneal area too. My oncologist is recommending HIPEC surgery and I'm still evaluating whether that's the right call at stage II.

Yep, the latency thing is real. I was at Camp Lejeune 1978 to 1982, barracks had asbestos insulation all over the place, plus I did a deployment on the Iwo Jima where it was everywhere in the engine spaces. Didn't start coughing until October of this year, that's 43 years later. Got diagnosed Stage II same month. So you're not alone in that timeline.

The docs told me after my surgery in December that once it starts showing up on imaging, it usually means it's been doing its thing for a while already. Like you said, the x-ray catches it but the damage predates the symptoms by years sometimes. Mine started with just a persistent cough I thought was from getting older too. Mentioned it at a regular checkup and they ordered a CT. Everything went downhill from there.

What got me was filing the VA claim in November, still waiting on that. But I got a second opinion from a specialist at Scripps in San Diego and she was straight with me about what I'm looking at. The latency period in literature is like 20 to 50 years but that's just averages. Some guys I've talked to here got sick faster, some slower.

25 years of exposure in HVAC work is legit serious stuff. Ductwork, insulation, old pipe wrapping, all of it. The thing about it sitting there that long is you're right to be concerned, but at least you caught it at Stage II. That matters for treatment options. I'm not gonna lie and say it gets easier but you start handling it once you know what you're fighting.

Man, that latency thing is wild isn't it. I'm looking at roughly the same math you are. Worked with brake dust from like 1970 to 2000, so 30 years of that stuff, plus I did some drywall work at home in the 80s without knowing any better. Didn't get shortness of breath until maybe 2024, so that's almost 50 years sitting there doing nothing as far as I could tell.

Got diagnosed last December, Stage I. My doc said the timeline varies like crazy from person to person depending on how much you inhaled and what kind of fibers and all that. Some guys get hit in 20 years, some it takes 40 or 50. You're not unlucky or lucky really, you just got the bad hand whenever your body decided to start showing it.

The shortness of breath thing, yeah. I thought it was just getting older too. Couldn't climb the ladder in my garage without getting winded. Then they found mine during a routine physical when they were listening to my chest for something else completely. Had my EPP surgery back in February and honestly the recovery went better than I expected. Felt pretty rough for a couple weeks but then it was like someone let air back into the tire if that makes sense.

You're not dealing with something that just showed up sooner. It's been there the whole time. But here's the thing - catching it at Stage II is way different than Stage IV where some people end up. Sounds like you got some real options for treatment. What's your doc saying about next steps?

Man, that 25 year gap thing is wild isn't it. I'm kinda in the same boat. I was working with brake dust from like 1970 to 2000 at the shop, so that's 30 years of exposure right there. Then didn't feel anything until late last year when I started getting winded just walking the dog. Figured it was just because I'm 72 and outta shape lol.

Got diagnosed in December and had my EPP surgery back in February. The docs told me the latency period can be anywhere from 10 to 50 years depending on the person and how heavy the exposure was, so yeah you're looking at the real deal when they say it's a long time coming. In my case they think I probably had stuff in there for a good 20-25 years before my body started throwing up the warning signs. Stage I when they caught it which was lucky I guess.

What kinda messes with your head is knowing you coulda been doing something about it earlier if anybody had just said hey there's asbestos in this stuff. But that's water under the bridge now. The thing that helped me was getting my info straight about what stage I was at and what my options were. Got a second opinion from a specialist in Ann Arbor and that made a real difference in how we moved forward with treatment.

Your stage II is still early enough that you got options so don't lose hope over that. The breathing thing gets better once you get the right plan going.

I worked at the Johns-Manville plant in Cleveland from 1978 to 1985, so about 7 years of pretty heavy exposure, and didn't get my diagnosis until November of this year. That's 40 years of latency. Your math tracks with what I've been reading too, though the range seems to be anywhere from 20 to 50 years depending on the person and how much exposure we're talking about.

What's strange is I didn't really have the classic shortness of breath thing at first. My symptoms were more abdominal, which is why I got peritoneal instead of pleural. Started having this weird bloating and constipation around 2022, saw three different doctors who basically said it was IBS or my diet or getting older. Kept a symptom journal starting in March 2023 because I got frustrated with not knowing what was happening. Turns out that log was helpful when I finally got the CT scan in October.

The latency period thing is what keeps me up at night honestly. All those decades where it's just sitting there doing its damage and you have no idea. But I've also read that the fact it showed up on your x-ray during a routine visit might mean you caught it earlier than some people do. My oncologist at Cleveland Clinic said stage II gives us better options than stage III or IV, which is where a lot of folks are when they finally get diagnosed.

One thing I'd recommend is getting really specific about your exposure timeline. I documented exactly which buildings I worked in, the types of insulation products we handled, whether we cut it or just installed it. That detail matters for understanding your risk factors going forward.

yeah my brother was same way, worked construction back in the 80s and didnt feel anything till like 10 years ago. doctors said could've been in there the whole time just taking forever to show up. its wild how long it can hide.

The latency thing keeps me up at night honestly. I've been tracking my symptom timeline since diagnosis and what strikes me is how insidious it was, you know? I didn't have dramatic shortness of breath like some people describe. I had this persistent mild chest discomfort that I attributed to stress at work, some fatigue I figured was just aging. Looking back through my journals from 2023 and 2024, the pattern's there but it was so subtle I almost missed it.

What really got me thinking was reading the epidemiological data on peritoneal cases specifically. The latency tends to be longer than pleural, which tracks with my 40-year gap, but there's also this thing where symptoms can plateau for years before they suddenly accelerate. My oncologist mentioned that peritoneal mesothelioma often progresses differently than pleural because of where it sits. So when you say you're wondering if it's been brewing versus showing up sooner, the answer might be both. It could've been dormant for decades and then something triggered that acceleration 6 months ago.

One thing I wish I'd done earlier was get baseline imaging around year 20 or 25 of exposure, even just to establish what was normal for my body. I know that doesn't help now but for anyone reading this with occupational exposure history, that might be worth asking your doctor about. As for your specific timeline, 25 years of latency actually puts you in a fairly common range from what I've read in the literature.