Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma has usually progressed to a later stage in the disease before people notice symptoms significant enough to warrant a visit to the doctor. However, the most common initial symptoms of the disease are:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain

As the cancer progresses, other symptoms that may be present are:

• Increased shortness of breath
• Weight loss
• Decreased appetite
• Night sweats
• Voice changes caused by local invasion of the tumor
• Loss of diaphragm function

There are also symptoms specific to the type of mesothelioma that you have and where the cancer is located on your body

Pleural Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma affecting the lungs is called pleural mesothelioma and the symptoms associated with this type of malignancy are due to accumulation of fluid within the pleura or the membrane that surrounds the lungs.

The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are:

• Shortness of breath
• Pain under the rib cage or chest
• Mild to severe constant cough
• Sudden weight loss

Peritonial Mesothelioma

Peritonial mesothelioma is another type of malignancy which affects the internal lining or peritoneum of the intestine. Peritoneal mesothelioma has many symptoms which are similar to the symptoms of other diseases. So it is very difficult to diagnose mesothelioma of the peritoneum.

The common symptoms are:

• Abdominal swelling
• Formation of tissue mass in the abdomen
• Sudden weight loss
• Nausea
• Anemia
• Mild or severe abdominal pain
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Constant fever (in extreme cases)

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial mesothelioma affects the pericardium or the lining of the heart and causes fluid build-up between the tissues of the heart and the lining.

The symptoms generally seen in pericardial mesothelioma patients are:

• Mild to severe chest pain
• Regular cough
• Irregular heart beat
• Breathing pattern irregularities
• Constant fatigue

Sometimes the symptoms of mesothelioma appear only when metastasis occurs. Metastasis is the condition in which the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body.

The main symptoms of metastatic mesothelioma are:

• General body pain
• Difficulty in swallowing food
• Inflammation of the neck or face