Mesothelioma Symptoms
Mesothelioma manifests between fifteen and fifty years after a person's initial exposure to asbestos. Early symptoms tend to be very general, and so may go unnoticed by patients. Additionally, many people develop symptoms only two or three months prior to being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma
Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to ascites (an accumulation of fluid) in the pleural space (the area lining the lungs) are common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. A malignant tumor of the mesothelial tissue of the pleural cavity is a marked sign of mesothelioma. In late stages of pleural mesothelioma, the patient may suffer a collapsed lung due to an abnormal accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity, known as a pneumothorax.
Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the exterior abdominal lining) is a rare form of mesothelioma. Only one-fifth to one-third of all mesotheliomas affect the peritoneum. Like pleural mesothelioma, a malignant tumor of the abdominal lining is a marked sign of mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma ordinarily does not cause symptoms until the cancer has reached a late stage. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include fever, cachexia (weight loss, general muscle atrophy and malnutrition), abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites in the abdominal cavity, bowel obstructions, low blood sugar, jaundice, pleural effusion (discharge of fluid from the blood or lymph into a pleural cavity), blood clots (including pulmonary emboli), severe ascites, anemia, trouble swallowing, and swelling of the neck or face.
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