Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the organs. The most frequent is the pleura (the outer layer of the lungs and internal chest wall), but may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.
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. Washing clothes family member who worked with asbestos can also make a person at risk for mesothelioma [citation needed]. Unlike lung cancer, no association between mesothelioma and smoking. [1] Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law). Symptoms of mesothelioma 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. Diagnosis can be suspected with chest X-ray 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. This allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from collecting and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carried a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.
