Mesothelioma

Summary

The tissue that lines your lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs is called mesothelium. Mesothelioma, also known as malignant mesothelioma, is cancer of that tissue. It usually starts in the lungs, but can also start in the abdomen or other organs.

Malignant mesothelioma is rare but serious. Most people who get it have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. After being exposed to asbestos, it usually takes a long time for the disease to form.

Symptoms include:

• Trouble breathing
• Pain under the rib cage
• Pain, swelling, or lumps in the abdomen
• Weight loss for no known reason

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. Your doctor uses imaging tests and a biopsy to make the diagnosis. Malignant mesothelioma is often found when it is advanced. This makes it harder to treat. Treatment may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and/or targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

National Cancer Institute

Encyclopedia

• Abdominal radiation – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• After chemotherapy – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• Chest radiation – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• Radiation enteritis Medical Encyclopedia

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society American Cancer Society
• American Lung Association American Lung Association
• National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute

Related Issues

• Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk National Cancer Institute

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Can Malignant Mesothelioma Be Found Early? American Cancer Society
• What Causes Malignant Mesothelioma? American Cancer Society

Children

• Childhood Mesothelioma Treatment National Cancer Institute

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Mesothelioma National Institutes of Health

Treatments and Therapies

• Drugs Approved for Malignant Mesothelioma National Cancer Institute
• Treatment Option Overview (Malignant Mesothelioma) National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• General Information about Malignant Mesothelioma National Cancer Institute
• Malignant Mesothelioma American Cancer Society
• Mesothelioma Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Statistics and Research

• Key Statistics about Malignant Mesothelioma American Cancer Society

Patient Handouts

• Malignant mesothelioma Medical Encyclopedia
• Solitary fibrous tumor Medical Encyclopedia

Journal Articles

• Mesothelioma

Diagnosis and Tests

• Stages of Malignant Mesothelioma National Cancer Institute
• Tests for Malignant Mesothelioma American Cancer Society