Mesothelioma: Know What Is Mesothelioma and Causes of Mesothelioma

What is Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (mesothelioma lung cancer) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Mesothelioma lung cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma lung cancer begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this mesothelioma lung cancer, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).

Causes of mesothelioma are inhaling asbestos particles, or being exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma.

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 mesothelioma diagnosis can be made with chest X-rays and a 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 pressing on the lung. Despite mesothelioma treatments with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the mesothelioma carries a poor prognosis. Mesothelioma research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma symptoms is ongoing.