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Mesothelioma Symptoms

It is offten difficult to diagnose malignant mesothelioma. Because it is an uncommon form of cancer, many doctors, particularly those who are not cancer specialists, are not familiar with mesothelioma.

Many of the symptoms of mesothelioma are not very different from those associated with other health problems. Also, in its early stages some patients experience no symptoms at all.

Additional Data Regarding Symptoms

Reliable statistics about survival rates are difficult to find. There is some evidence that about fifteen percent of mesothelioma cases are found during the early stages (before the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or elsewhere). The five year survival rate for individuals with mesothelioma is fifty percent if there is no evidence of cancer in lymph nodes at the time of surgery. In most cases, however, the spread of cancer has already occurred even if not detected by current medical tests. When all mesothelioma stages are considered together, the five year survival rate is only about five to ten percent. Many times early mesotheliomas are diagnosed incidentally, meaning they are found as a result of tests that are done for an unrelated medical health condition. Most of the time mesothelioma does not cause any symptoms until it has spread too far to be cured but symptoms from mesothelioma do occur early in some patients. Prompt attention to symptoms, leading to early diagnosis and treatment can actually result in a better outcome for some. For others, prompt attention to symptoms can improve the likelihood that treatment can extend life and relieve the symptoms.

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma (mesothelioma cancer of the lung lining) include:
  • pain in the lower back or the side of the chest (over half of patients experience this)
  • chest pain under the rib cage
  • shortness of breath
  • a dry persistent cough, which may bring up blood
  • difficulty swallowing (food or liquids)
  • hoarseness
  • swelling of the face and arms
  • fever and sweating
  • fatigue
  • abdominal swelling
  • abdominal pain
  • unexplained weight loss

Some of the symptoms are also common to many minor ailments and, therefore, may not cause a doctor to suspect mesothelioma.

However, a pleural effusion, one of the most common and specific symptoms of pleural mesothelioma, is the accumulation of fluid between the lungs and chest cavity. This generally causes shortness of breath, and requires a doctor to drain the fluid, to make breathing easier and relieve chest pain. This symptom is more unique to mesothelioma, making it more likely that you may have the disease.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma cancer of the lining that surrounds the abdomen) include:


- abdominal pain
- nausea and vomiting
- weight loss
- abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen.
- an abdominal mass

Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include:

- bowel obstruction
- blood clotting abnormalities
- anemia
- fever.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Some of the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma (mesothelioma cancer of the lining that surrounds the heart) include:

- dyspnea, including significantly difficult breathing at night in bed
- cough
- chest pain
- orthopnea (discomfort with breathing while lying flat)
- wheezing
- weight loss
- swelling of legs and feet

Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma cancer that has spread to other parts of the body include:

  • Pain in the area where cancer has spread
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Swelling in the neck and face

Like pleural mesothelioma, these symptoms are also common to many minor ailments and, therefore, may not cause a doctor to suspect mesothelioma.

Leading Mesothelioma Symptom Links

This is our hand picked resources dealing with mesothelioma symptoms. The pages listed here are specifically about the symptoms of mesothelioma and contain different content than what is listed here.

WrongDiagnosis.com and mesothelioma symptoms - Extremely useful site for learning and relating your specific situation to the disease in question. In this case, the disease in question is mesothelioma and this page gives numerous resources to help out with a self-diagnosis. This should not be used as a substitute for visiting a medical doctor.

MayoClinic.com's mesothelioma symptoms page - A shorter list of symptoms, but includes a paragraph of information on other forms of mesothelioma cancer. This webpage also has links to more information regarding mesothelioma.

About.com's mesothelioma symptoms section - About.com has numerous writers dedicated to all health related subjects; mesothelioma included. This page is useful because it has slightly different number indicators and a wealth of related articles on mesothelioma symptoms.

Anna L. Kaplan, M.D.


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