About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma (pronounced Me-zo-theel-ee-oma) is a tumor of the membrane that covers the organs of the thorax and abdomen called the mesothelium. A tumor may be benign (non cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). The cancerous form is called mesothelioma and further classified by the location on the mesothelium that it occurs. Pleural Mesothelioma is a tumor on the plural membrane that covers the lung. Perotineal mesothelioma is a tumor on the membrane that covers the abdominal organs. Pericardial mesothelioma is a tumor on the pericardium or the membrane covering the heart.

A vast majority of mesothelioma is caused by exposure to Asbestos fibers. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was widely used in insulation, lightweight concrete and other building materials such as roof tiles.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer in the United States and other countries. Tens of millions of people were exposed to Asbestos from the 1920s to the 1970's in the US. In some countries in Europe and in Japan Asbestos is still used in manufacturing. Some people exposed to Asbestos will go on to develop disease. In addition to mesothelioma another disease called Asbestosis, a non-cancerous lung disease, afflicts some exposed individuals. In the US about 2500 to 3000 people a year are diagnosed with mesothelioma. This indicates that not all people exposed to Asbestos will develop disease. It is likely that some genetic factors, as well as environmental factors such as concentration of fibers affect whether or not an individual develops the disease. A very small group of people develop mesothelioma without exposure to Asbestos. Some people have been known to get mesothelioma as a secondary cancer after treatment of another type of cancer by radiation.

Mesothelioma typically starts in the lung or peritoneum. In Pleural Mesothelioma the cells in the pleura begin to divide out of control. As the tumors grow, they start causing problems with the natural function of the pleura which allows the lungs to move smoothly against the bodywall. A rind of cancerous tissue starts growing around the lungs and sometimes the heart. This squeezing limits lung function.

Another problem with mesothelioma is that small parts of the cancer can migrate to new parts of the body like the bone or lungs and start new tumors. This is called a metastatic tumor.

Until recently mesothelioma was considered an untreatable disease that was resistant to chemotherapy. Recent developments with new drugs given more hope of treatment. Unfortunately the average survival time from diagnosis is just over a year, partly because most mesothelioma is detected when the disease is advanced.

Research into the molecular and genetic components of mesothelioma give hope that one day mesothelioma will be considered a very treatable disease.