Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. In contrast, lung cancer refers to a malignancy of the lung itself.
This section is not intended as a tool for self-diagnosis, nor is it intended to be a substitute for consulting with a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma. This section is merely designed to help you learn about mesothelioma.
Benign pleural mesothelioma is a non-cancerous tumor that has not spread to other organs of the body. If the tumor is large, it may squeeze the lung itself and cause shortness of breath and pain.
Malignant Pleural mesothelioma is cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. This rare form of cancer is found in the pleural sac lining of the lung. Exposure to asbestos is considered the primary cause of pleural mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma may include shortness of breath, chest pain, back pain, pain in the rib cage, fluid build-up in the lung lining, hoarseness, coughing up blood, swelling of the face and arms, muscle weakness, paralysis and sensory loss.
Peritoneal mesothelioma, also known as cancer of the peritoneum, is a cancer of the abdominal lining.
One way doctors diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma is by looking inside the abdominal cavity with an instrument called a peritoneoscope. In this procedure, a cut is made through the abdomen wall and the peritoneoscope is placed into the abdomen. This test, called a peritoneoscopy, is usually performed in the hospital.
Some patients develop excessive fluid in the abdomen. This is called an effusion or ascites. A doctor may take a sample of such fluid to diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma. Fluid in the abdomen might also be drained to relieve symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma. The procedure for drawing out this fluid is called “paracentesis”.
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The symptoms of this cancer may include stomach pain, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, hernia, fluid in the abdominal cavity or a mass in the abdomen.
Pericardial mesothelioma is also known as mesothelioma of the pericardium or cancer of the sac that holds the heart.
Your doctor may diagnose this cancer using a thoracoscope to perform a thoracoscopy, which might also involve opening up the chest cavity to remove the tumor.
Patients who develop excessive fluid around the heart, called an effusion, may have a sample of the fluid taken to diagnose pericardial mesothelioma. Fluid might also be drained to relieve symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma. The procedure for drawing out this fluid is called “pericardiocentesis.”
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Symptoms can include chest pain and shortness of breath. The tumor and/or fluid that accumulates between the heart and the sac can compress the heart, causing such symptoms
A patient’s doctor or medical records may refer to the “cell type” of the malignant mesothelioma. This refers to the type of tissue where the cancer first developed. For example, “epithelial” malignant mesothelioma refers to cancerous cells that develop in the “epithelium,” which is the membrane lining of the lung, heart, or abdomen. In contrast, “sarcomatous” malignant mesothelioma arises in connective tissue. “Biphasic” refers to malignant mesothelioma that arises in two different cell types. Other cell types of malignant mesothelioma are lymphohistiocytoid and desmoplastic.
Who's At Risk
The use of asbestos has exposed thousands of unsuspecting workers and their families to this toxic substance. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has stated that it is aware of no instance in which exposure to a toxic substance has more clearly demonstrated deleterious health effects than has asbestos exposure. From 1940 through 1970, approximately 27.5 million individuals had potential asbestos exposure at work. Such a figure is not surprising when one considers that by one estimate, 1.2 billion square feet of asbestos-containing insulation can be found in 190,000 buildings in the
Workers may be exposed to asbestos in a wide range of job sites and trades, ranging from milling and mining to manufacturing and consumer industries. According to one estimate from the Asbestos Information Association, there are over 3,000 discrete uses of asbestos. These uses have resulted in exposures to through the mining and milling process, in primary and secondary manufacturing of asbestos-containing products, in shipbuilding and repair, and in construction.
Hazardous exposures to asbestos may have also occurred from off-site releases from the mining, milling and manufacture of asbestos products. Such releases may have exposed residents in nearby communities. According to estimates, off-site release from construction sites has resulted in environmental asbestos levels approximately 100 times greater than the levels that naturally occur in the environment.
Additionally, contamination of homes may occur by employees bringing home asbestos contaminated clothing from the workplace. This may expose innocent members of the worker’s family to asbestos. Some believe that the most important current source of non-occupational exposure is the release of fibers from existing asbestos-containing surface materials, such as those in schools, residences and public buildings.
Age Groups
Mesothelioma cancer can have a long latency period between the time of exposure to asbestos fibers and the onset of the actual injury or disease. The latency period can be anywhere between 15 and 50 years, and sometimes even longer. There are also documented cases of mesothelioma cancer with latency periods of less than 15 years. So, a person only recently diagnosed with mesothelioma was probably exposed to asbestos fibers many years ago.
As reported by the National Cancer Institute, there are about 3,000 cases per year of malignant mesothelioma being reported in the
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