Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.
In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos
particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways.
Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a
person at risk for developing mesothelioma.[2] Unlike lung cancer, there is no
association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking greatly increases risk
of other asbestos-induced cancer.[3] Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits
is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).

The 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. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray
and CT scan, and is 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. It allows the introduction of substances such
as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents
more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment
with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease
carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early
detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.