Mesothelioma

[Raeanne Dimick]

If you or a loved one was diagnosed with [mesothelioma] you may be [entitled] to financial [compensation]

[Luis Fok]

A cancer of mesothelial tissue, associated especially with exposure to asbestos.

[Jessica]

Mesothelioma is cancer of the thin, transparent, two-layered membrane that covers and lines the inside of the chest wall and abdomen.

The most common symptoms are persistent chest pain and shortness of breath.
A chest x-ray and a biopsy of lung tissue or cells are needed to make the diagnosis.
Mesothelioma is treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.

(See also Overview of Environmental Lung Diseases.)
Asbestos can cause cancer in the pleura (the thin, transparent, two-layered membrane that covers the lungs and lines the inside of the chest wall), called mesothelioma, or in the membranes of the abdomen. In the United States, asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma. Smoking is not a cause of mesothelioma.
Asbestos is a family of naturally occurring compounds whose heat-resistant and structural properties made it useful for inclusion in construction and shipbuilding materials, automobile brakes, and some textiles. Asbestos can be found in low levels in the air, water, and soil, but this low level of environmental exposure is not a significant contributor to human disease. Asbestos is composed of fibrous mineral silicates of different chemical compositions. Mesotheliomas most commonly occur after exposure to crocidolite, one of four types of asbestos. Amosite, another type, also causes mesotheliomas. Chrysotile probably causes fewer cases of mesotheliomas than other types, but chrysotile is often contaminated with tremolite, which does. Mesotheliomas usually develop about 30 years after exposure and can occur after low levels of exposure.
Mesothelioma and other diseases caused by asbestos inhalation can be prevented by minimizing asbestos dust and fibers in the workplace. Because industries that use asbestos have improved dust control, fewer people develop asbestosis today, but mesotheliomas are still occurring in people who were exposed as many as 30 to 50 years ago.

[exinilu]

Pleural mesothelioma is the only known pleural cancer and is caused by asbestos exposure in nearly all cases. Diagnosis is based on history and chest x-ray or CT findings and tissue biopsy. Treatment is supportive, which may require surgery, chemotherapy, or both.
(See also Overview of Asbestos-Related Disorders and Overview of Environmental Pulmonary Disease.)
Asbestos is a family of naturally occurring silicates whose heat-resistant and structural properties made it useful for inclusion in construction and shipbuilding materials, automobile brakes, and some textiles. Chrysotile (a serpentine fiber), crocidolite, and amosite (amphibole, or straight fibers) are the 3 main types of asbestos that cause disease.
Asbestos workers have up to a 10% lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma, with an average latency of 25 to 30 years. Risk is independent of smoking. Mesothelioma arises from the mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity and can spread locally, or it can metastasize to the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes, pericardium, diaphragm, peritoneum, liver, adrenals, or kidneys and, rarely, the tunica vaginalis of the testis.