Mesothelioma Sign and Symptoms

A. Pleural Mesothelioma Sign and Symptoms.



Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

• chest wall pain
• shortness of breath, known as "dyspnea".
  
• fatigue or anemia
• wheezing, hoarseness, or dry cough
• blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up
• night sweats and fever
• wheight loss
• Difficulty swallowing
• A hoarse or husky voice
  
• Pleural Effusion-fluid in the Lungs. 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, called fine-needle aspiration, to make breathing easier and relieve chest pain.

B. Peritoneal Mesothelioma Sign and Symptoms.



Clinical symptoms at the time of presentation may include:

• abdominal pain
• abdominal mass
• increased abdominal girth
• distention of the abdomen
• ascites (fluid in the abdomen)
• fever, weight loss, fatigue, anemia
  
• nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• digestive disturbances. Some patients complain of more non-specific symptoms for a number of months prior to a confirmed diagnosis. In a percentage of cases, peritoneal mesothelioma is found incidentally when the patient has sought help for another health problem such as gallbladder, hernia or pelvic mass.

C. Pericardial Mesothelioma Sign and Symptoms.



Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma can include:

• Chest pain.
  
• shortness of breath.
  
• Heart palpitations. The tumor and/or fluid that accumulates between the heart and the sac can compress the heart.
• Persistent coughing.
• Extreme fatigue after minimal activity or exertion.

Pericardial mesothelioma resembles the other types of asbestos-caused mesothelioma in that the symptoms are often mistaken for something more common.