The cancer itself can take 20 to 50 years to develop from the time the patient inhales carcinogenic asbestos fibers, and warning signs and symptoms may not develop for several more months after that. However, the warning signs are often vague and generic, further delaying diagnosis while less severe diseases such as pneumonia are ruled out.
Early Warning Signs
The earliest warning signs of pleural mesothelioma are complications of the respiratory system. These symptoms can include:
· - Dull, consistent chest pain under the ribs
· - Shortness of breath (even while at rest)
· - A dry cough
· - Fatigue
Pleural effusions may also develop, but these are internal buildups of fluid that might not be initially recognized by the patient. Pleural effusions are often identified through an imaging scan such as a CT scan or an X-Ray.
Mesothelioma can also cause patients to lose their appetite (and as a result, lose significant amounts of weight).
Later Warning Signs
As the cancer spreads throughout the body, more and more symptoms develop. Many later symptoms of mesothelioma are warning signs of the cancer metastasizing, or spreading throughout the body. These later warning signs can include:
· - Spitting up blood
· - Nerve palsy (due to the cancer spreading to the local nerves in the arm)
· - Neurological syndromes such as Horner’s Syndrome
Masses in the chest may also occur once the tumor has grown so large it begins to visibly protrude. This typically does not occur until the very end stages of mesothelioma.
Patients who experience any of these symptoms and have a history of asbestos exposure should immediately make an appointment with an oncologist to discuss a potential asbestos-related disease. The earlier these warning signs are recognized as the symptoms of mesothelioma, the better a patient’s prognosis tends to be.
Author bio: Faith Franz is a writer for the Mesothelioma Center. She combines her interests in whole-body health and medical research to educate the mesothelioma community about the newest developments in cancer care.