Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. It is connected mainly to people who have worked with asbestos where dust and fibres have been inhaled . It can also affect those people that came into contact with the clothes of their family member maybe as they were washing them.

Symptoms of mesothelioma are shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space.

The mesothelium, is a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs, this is where the malignant cells develop.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal swelling and pain due to a build up of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities,  If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma but it may be a less serious condition so many tests are needed to try and prove the cause.

In severe cases, the person may have many tumour masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body. Tumours that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage.

The Diagnois of mesothelioma is often difficult as the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor may need to assess what stage the mesothelioma has reached to help plan the treatment.

A chest x-ray and CT Scan are used to help confirm prognosis, plus a biopsies "a sample of tissue" and also a microscopic examination.