Mesothelioma Cancer Symptoms

The first symptoms of mesothelioma include chest or abdominal pain, bloating and shortness of breath, depending on the location of the cancer. Because early-stage signs can be slight, doctors often mistake them as normal aches and pains or symptoms of less serious illnesses.

Mesothelioma tumors begin as tiny nodules on the lining of the lungs or abdomen. The cancer doesn’t cause symptoms until the tumors have grown and spread, usually around cancer stage III and IV, and they begin to press against the chest wall or abdominal cavity.


But when signs of the cancer start to arise, the most common mesothelioma symptoms include:

• Dry cough or wheezing
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Respiratory complications
• Pain in the chest or abdomen
• Fever or night sweats
• Pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs)
• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness

Symptoms of Mesothelioma by Stage

Dry cough or wheezing, Shortness of breath (dyspnea), Difficulty breathing, Pain in chest or abdomen, Pleural effusion (fluid)

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms

Faint or harsh breathing, Dry cough or wheezing, Pleural effusions, Coughing up blood, Body aches, Blood clotting disorders, Chest pains, Shortness of breath, Reduced chest expansion

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms

Weight loss, Abdominal distention, Hernias, Loss of appetite, Feeling of fullness, Abdominal swelling, Fatigue, Abdominal fluid buildup, Bowel obstruction