What Are the Most Common Mesothelioma Symptoms?

Unfortunately, mesothelioma symptoms mirror many other types of lung-related diseases. Symptoms can be different based on the type of cancer and can be vague and mild even as the disease progresses into a later stage. Early signs can be so slight that they are mistaken as normal aches and pains or symptoms of other illnesses, making asbestos-related cancer hard to detect.

Most Common Mesothelioma Symptoms:

1. Dry Cough or Wheezing
2. Shortness of Breath
3. Respiratory Complications
4. Pain in the Chest or Abdomen
5. Fever
6. Pleural Effusions
7. Anemia
8. Muscle Weakness

Symptoms of Advanced Mesothelioma Include:

1. Chest Pain
2. Weight Loss
3. Respiratory Complications

By the time someone identifies warning signs, the cancer often has spread, making it difficult for doctors to treat. Recognizing symptoms early and informing your doctor about any history of asbestos exposure can help lead to an earlier-than-normal diagnosis and a much better chance of a potentially curative therapy.

Common Mesothelioma Symptoms by Type:

Some warning signs of these diseases match those of other cancers, including a loss of appetite and weight loss. But the various types and sub-types of asbestos-related cancers do manifest in ways that are unique.

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms:

Chest Pains
Shortness of Breath
Reduced Chest Expansion
Faint or Harsh Breathing Sounds
Dry Cough or Wheezing
Pleural Effusions
Coughing Up Blood
Body Aches
Blood Clotting Disorders

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms:

• Weight Loss
• Abdominal Distention
• Hernias
• Loss of Appetite
• Feeling of Fullness
• Abdominal Swelling / Tenderness
• Fatigue
• Abdominal Fluid Buildup
• Bowel Obstruction

Common Symptoms Relating to Local Asbestos Cancer Invasion:

• Dysphagia 
  (difficulty swallowing)
• Superior Vena Cava Syndrome 
  (obstruction of the vein that returns blood from the upper body to the heart)
• Laryngeal nerve palsy 
  (hoarseness)
• Horner's syndrome 
  (nerve damage to face)
• Hypoglycemia 
  (low blood sugar)
• Nerve Involvement of the arm

Early Mesothelioma Symptoms Are Hard to Detect:

Many patients don't understand the early symptoms of mesothelioma. They only seek medical advice when symptoms intensify, which is why much of the mesothelioma research today involves finding better ways to secure an earlier diagnosis, when it can be treated more effectively. There is considerable support for early screening for those with prolonged, occupational exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Symptoms Are Often Misdiagnosed:

Nonspecialists often mistake pleural mesothelioma for less serious conditions like pneumonia, bronchial infection and COPD. People with peritoneal mesothelioma may initially be diagnosed with ovarian cancer or irritable bowel syndrome. Pericardial mesothelioma is so rare doctors can easily confuse it with heart failure, coronary heart disease and other common heart illnesses.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms:

• Difficulty Breathing
• Chest Pains

Testicular Mesothelioma Symptoms:

A lump in the testes is the only consistent sign of this type, the rarest of all types, accounting for less than 1 percent of all mesothelioma cases.

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