Mesothelioma Info: Know More About Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma (or simply, mesothelioma ) is a rare cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs (mesothelium). Doctors divide mesothelioma into different categories based on what part of the mesothelium is affected by cancer. Mesothelioma that occurs in the tissue that surrounds the lung (pleura) is called pleural mesothelioma and is the most common form. Mesothelioma that occurs in the tissue in your abdomen (peritoneum) is called peritoneal mesothelioma and accounts for 10% to 20% of all mesothelioma. In rare cases, pericardial mesothelioma; the rarest form of mesothelioma; is a mesothelioma that occur in the sac surrounding the heart (pericardium); and the other one is in the lining around the testicles (tunica vaginalis).

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosis in the United States each year. Men are more likely to develop mesothelioma than are women; and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age - mesothelioma diagnosis can be find at no particular gender or age.

Malignant mesothelioma is closely linked to exposure to asbestos — a natural fiber that was once used in manufacturing a wide variety of industrial and household products. It's an unfortunate truth that millions of Americans and people all over the world have been poisoned by toxic levels of asbestos, putting them at risk for mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other deadly diseases that are directly caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Malignant mesothelioma rates have increased during the past 20 years in response to the widespread use of asbestos in the past. Many industrialized countries now limit asbestos use and enforce laws to protect workers who may be exposed. Mesothelioma research predicts that these efforts will lead to fewer cases of mesothelioma in the future.