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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of mesothelioma vary depending on where the cancer occurs.
Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the tissue that surrounds the lungs, causes signs and symptoms that may include:
- Chest pain under the rib cage
- Painful coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest
- Unexplained weight loss
Peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in tissue in the abdomen, causes signs and symptoms that may include:
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal swelling
- Lumps of tissue in the abdomen
- Unexplained weight loss
Other forms of mesothelioma
Signs and symptoms of other types of mesothelioma are unclear. Other forms of mesothelioma are so rare that not much information is available. Pericardial mesothelioma, which affects tissue that surrounds the heart, can cause signs and symptoms such as breathing difficulty and chest pains. Mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis, which affects tissue surrounding the testicles, may be first detected as a mass on a testicle.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you have signs and symptoms that may indicate mesothelioma. Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma aren't specific to this disease and, due to the rarity of mesothelioma, are more likely to be related to other conditions. If any persistent signs and symptoms seem unusual or bothersome to you, ask your doctor to evaluate them.
- Malignant pleural mesothelioma. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/mpm.pdf. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Sovak MA, et al. Tumors of the pleura and mediastinum. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2007:1367.
- Broaddus VC, et al. Tumors of the pleura. In: Murray and Naedel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4710-0&uniq=207463617#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4710-0%3Btype%3DbookHome. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Mesothelioma: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/sites-types/mesothelioma. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Alexander HR. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 29, 2010.
- Frias-Kletecka MC, et al. Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis. The Journal of Urology. 2007;178:1489.
- Malignant mesothelioma treatment (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/patient/allpages. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Frequently asked questions about cancer, simian virus 40 (SV40) and polio vaccine. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/updates/archive/polio_and_cancer.htm. Accessed June 29, 2010.
- Thorium: ToxFAQs. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=659&tid=121. Accessed June 29, 2010.
- Schartzstein RM, et al. Dyspnea. In: Murray and Naedel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4710-0&uniq=207463617#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4710-0%3Btype%3DbookHome. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Bausewein C, et al. Non-pharmacological intervention for breathlessness in advanced stages of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009;CD005623.
- Asbestos: Basic information. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html. Accessed June 29, 2010.
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