Mesothelioma is a form of aggressive cancer that affects people who have had a long history of exposure to a mineral called asbestos, either directly or indirectly. Asbestos was widely used as an industrial substance especially after during the 19th century till as recently as the Second World War. Thus not only industrial workers but even their families contracted mesothelioma and died by the thousands. The worst thing about mesothelioma is the fact that it is a very slow developing cancer in the sense that the symptoms of mesothelioma begin to appear in the patient after about 20 to 50 years from the time of exposure. There it is very difficult to detect mesothelioma at an early stage of development. However, newer therapies are being developed each day, to find out ways through which mesothelioma can be discovered at a earlier stage.

There are various types of mesothelioma depending on which organ is affected. However the most common form is pleural mesothelioma where the lining of the lungs is affected. Signs which are usually observed in mesothelioma patients are:

1. pain in the chest wall
2. A fluid which surrounds the lung. This is called pleural effusion.
3. Increasing shortness of breath.
4. Exhaustion prone and anaemic tendencies
5. Wheezing coughs
6. Presence of blood in the sputum which is being coughed up
7. Loss of weight.

In the case of severe mesothelioma the patient can develop many tumours. The lung may collapse, a condition which is known as pneumothorax. The mesothelioma often spreads to other parts of the body. This spreading is called metastasizing. Again, a severe case of mesothelioma may display the following symptoms:

1. Blood clots in the veins, causing thrombophlebitis.
2. Excessive bleeding in many of the organs
3. Yellowish tinge of the eyes and skin, which leads to jaundice.
4. Low blood sugar levels
5. Blood clots in the arteries of the lungs. This condition is called pulmonary emboli.
6. Case of ascites in which fluid is created and stored in the abdominal cavity.
7. Pleural effusion or a build up of fluids in the lungs. The shortness of breath usually occurs because of pleural effusion.