Signs & Symptoms of Mesothelioma.

  • Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
    Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
    These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

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

    1. chest wall pain
    2. pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
    3. shortness of breath
    4. fatigue or anemia
    5. wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
    6. blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up

    In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

    Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage.
    Symptoms include:

    1. abdominal pain
    2. ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
    3. a mass in the abdomen
    4. problems with bowel function
    5. weight loss



    In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

    1. blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
    2. disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
    3. jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
    4. low blood sugar level
    5. pleural effusion
    6. pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
    7. severe ascites



    As mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

 

Current News

The latest statistics show that between 1980 and 2000, over 8,000 men and over 1,000 women died from Mesothelioma. If someone in your family has been affected by this grave disease, you may be legally entitled to financial compensation to help cover your losses.

What are the long-term effects of the disease?

A mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor that is generally deadly. Current treatment of malignant mesothelioma is designed to make the person with cancer comfortable. Although long-term survival cannot usually be expected, the case of famed paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould is a noted exception.

More information

Contact a knowledgeable mesothelioma lawyer at Matthews & Associates in Houston for prompt and responsive client service on asbestos-related damages claims anywhere in the United States. We know how to investigate and present your claim no matter where you live, where you were exposed to asbestos, or how long ago your exposure occurred.

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