What Is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is an aggressive type of cancer that affects the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue that covers most of your internal organs. It is usually linked to exposure to asbestos dust.
Like most cancers, the symptoms do not appear immediately. It may take between 10 to 50 years [1] for mesothelioma symptoms to appear after exposure to asbestos. Even when the symptoms start to appear, they are initially mild and nonspecific. They resemble those of other ailments and are often mistaken for other less deadly health problems.
As the tumor worsens in the later stages of mesothelioma, the symptoms also worsen. The signs and symptoms of this condition often depend on the location of the tumor in the body [2]. The tissues surrounding the lungs are the most affected body part. This is called pleural mesothelioma. Other types include peritoneal mesothelioma (which affects the lining of the abdomen or peritoneum) and pericardial mesothelioma (which affects the lining of the heart or pericardium) and testicular mesothelioma (which affects the lining of the testes). These other types are rarer.
The following are symptoms of mesothelioma by affected body part: