When symptoms such as mild chest pain, cough, or breathlessness first develop, they are commonly nonspecific and vague, which eventually will lead many people to assume that they are caused by common sickness or aging process. Physicians may also delay in making an accurate diagnosis due to the tremendous overlap of symptoms with the other disorders of the very cancer than in the earlier stages. What follows are the common symptoms of mesothelioma at various stages.
The Symptoms of Stage 1 Mesothelioma
Cancer at this stage is found in the lining of the lung, heart or stomach, and is commonly located only on one particular side of the body, and there are commonly no lymph nodes that are involved. Most people have no significant symptoms during this stage of mesothelioma.
The Symptoms of Stage 2 Mesothelioma
Cancer has spread to the lining of t lungs, close lymph nodes, diaphragm, and possibly the lining of the heart on one side of the body. As an alternative, the tumors have grown beyond the point or initial growth, and there is some sort of lymph node involved. The symptoms related to stage 2 mesothelioma, such as shortness of breath, coughing, or weight loss and bloating, known as peritoneal mesothelioma, may be more obvious, yet at some cases may also be vague.
The Symptoms of Stage 3 Mesothelioma
The mesothelioma has now metastasized to the organs that surround the original place of origin, and it is located on the same side of the body and has not spread to the other side. But, cancer cells may also be found in the lymph nodes. This is generally considered as the advanced stage of mesothelioma, and most patients are diagnosed when the cancer reaches this particular level. The symptoms commonly includes chest pain and increased difficulty in breathing, bowel obstruction, abdominal pain, and discomfort.
The Symptoms of Stage 4 Mesothelioma
The cancer has now spread to the lymphatic system and the tumor is discovered in various different parts of the body. The severity of symptoms will generally increases and new symptoms will develop, which depends on the parts of body affected. The symptoms of stage 4 mesothelioma include severe pain, breathing difficulty, difficulty swallowing, and digestive problems.
When Mesothelioma Symptoms Arise
The onset of symptoms of mesothelioma can vary considerably between individuals and is affected by a number of factors such as gender, the length of time of exposure, and the severity of asbestos exposure. In addition, people with a known history of heavy exposure over a prolonged period of time are likely to experience symptoms sooner than are those with lighter exposure over a shorter duration. With prolonged exposure to asbestos, the symptoms may appear in less than a month. But, if the level of asbestos exposure is so high and the exposure is rather short, such as occurred with the first respondents after the rise of the World Trade Center in 2001, the symptoms may appear within several years (less than five years) and the disease may be very fatal.
