What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma, more precisely known as malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the mesothelial cells, most commonly those in the lining that covers the lungs (pleura). Mesothelial cells exist in the lining (membrane) that covers the outer surface of our body organs. The majority of people with mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos at some time during their life.

Doctors usually divide mesothelioma into three types :

• Pleural mesothelioma - affects the pleura, the lining surrounding the lungs. This is the most common form.
• Peritoneal mesothelioma - the cancer attacks the lining of the abdomen, the peritoneum. This is the second most common form.
• Pericardial mesothelioma - the cancer attacks the protective layer covering the heart. This is the rarest form.

All three forms of mesothelioma are nearly always caused by asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer . For the majority of patients there is no cure. Doctors usually focus on improving the quality of life as the disease progresses - making the patient as comfortable as possible.

In the United Kingdom, approximately 2,000 patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma annually. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), mesothelioma kills over 2,700 people in the USA every year. According to the Mesothelioma register, deaths from this type of cancer rose more than tenfold from 1969 to 2009 in the UK. About four-fifths of all deaths are among men.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, mesothelioma is:

"A rare neoplasm derived from the lining cells of the pleura or peritoneum that grows as a thick sheet covering the viscera and is composed of spindle cells or fibrous tissue that may enclose glandlike spaces lined by cuboidal cells."

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