There are three major types of malignant mesothelioma

There are three major types of malignant mesothelioma epithelial, sarcomatoid, and mixed. Epithelial mesothelioma is most common. Individuals with pleural mesothelioma may accumulate some fluid between the lung lining and chest cavity. This can be detected through a chest x-ray. However, first symptoms of mesothelioma may not become apparent 10-40 years after the initial exposure, which makes it very hard to diagnose. Pleural mesothelioma is cancer of the pleura, which is the membrane that lines the lungs and the chest cavity. Peritoneal mesothelioma is cancer of the peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdomen. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may not become apparent until many years after the first exposure to asbestos.

Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type. In this case, the asbestos particles have been inhaled and become embedded in the lining of the chest cavity. In many cases signs of mesothelioma don't show up for twenty to thirty or even forty years later. In the early stages of this disease, surgery can provide improvement in the symptoms and slow the disease's progression.