Mesothelioma Symptoms

The symptoms of mesothelioma take many years to manifest and that’s why this disease is very hard to be diagnosed and cured. Even if the early symptoms of mesothelioma become evident, they’re so non-specific and generalized that diagnose could be incorrect, even if an experienced doctor makes that analysis. Its symptoms could frequently be confused with pneumonia in its early stages.

• The pleural mesothelioma most common symptoms are chest pains and shortness of breath, accompanied sometimes by persistent cough. And they’re because of the pleural effusion, which is the buildup of fluid between the lining of the chest cavity and the lung. This type of mesothelioma starts from the chest cavity and spreads to the other parts of the body. Other symptoms may include weight loss, severe breathing difficulty and even fever, trouble swallowing or swelling of the neck and face. Some mesothelioma carriers might even cough blood or develop a rough voice. Other patients may not show any symptoms at all.
• The peritoneal mesothelioma has little different symptoms. It starts from the abdomen and can spread from there as well. The symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain and swelling, vomiting and loss of appetite and they are influenced by the tumors that lean against the abdominal wall. Other peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms may be: anemia, fever, bowel obstruction and problems with blood.
• The pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest type of the disease and, as its name says, it starts in the cavity that surrounds the heart and it can spread from there. Its symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations and persistent coughing.

The symptoms for all forms of mesothelioma become more obvious and acute as the cancer moves into later stages. It is important to inform your doctor if you’ve been exposed to asbestos. This way, your diagnosis will be more exact. Don’t ignore any of these symptoms and visit your doctor as soon as possible.

Keep in mind that the symptoms make their appearance after 30 or 40 years, when the cancer is already spreading and the much later the diagnosis is established, the less possible it will be for the disease to be cured.