Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma realize that they’ve had signs or symptoms of the disease for some time but thought it was something else.

A sign of pleural mesothelioma includes a pleural effusion — some people call this fluid in the lungs — that often comes back after being drained. Working in industries where asbestos was used is also common. You may find you are having:

• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• weight loss
• fatigue
• night sweats

It’s very important to be evaluated by mesothelioma experts right away if you have a pleural effusion that comes back after being drained. This is a common sign of this disease.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include:

• swelling of the abdomen because of a buildup of fluid
• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• constipation

In addition to the signs and symptoms of these forms of mesothelioma, even the best physicians and cancer hospitals may not recognize signs of pericardial, testicular, and other very rare forms of mesothelioma. All of these illnesses commonly go undiagnosed by doctors who don’t think of mesothelioma as the possible cause of the problem.