Mesothelioma, malignant mesothelioma, more precisely, is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body, the mesothelioma. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.
The most frequent site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart, pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginals.
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibers in other ways. It was suggested that washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can put a person at risk of developing mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and snuff, but smoking greatly increases the risk of other types of asbestos-induced cancer. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).
Mesothelioma symptoms include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis can be suspected with chest radiograph and CT scan, and confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressure on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease has a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing