Development And Symptoms Of Mesothelioma
The National Cancer Institute states that: "Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum) or the lining around the heart (the pericardium)." Diagnosis of mesothelioma is often delayed due to non-specific symptoms that appear in early stages of the disease. Often presenting symptoms similar to viral pneumonia, patients may experience shortness of breath, chest pain and/or persistent cough whereas some patients experience no symptoms (due to a long latency period, symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear for 20 or more years). In pleural mesothelioma (the most common form), known symptoms include the above listed as well as hemoptysis, dysphagia, night sweats or fever, unexplained weight loss (10% or more), fatigue, and the appearance of lumps under the skin on the chest.
