Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma 

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare, asbestos-related cancer that forms on the thin protective tissues that cover the lungs and abdomen. A combined approach to treatment is helping people improve their survival and ease symptoms.

Did you know that doctors diagnose an estimated 3,000 cases of mesothelioma annually in the U.S.? The majority of those are traced to job-related exposures to asbestos. Most people have the pleural type, which forms on the lining of the lungs, but the cancer can also form around the lining of the abdomen or heart.
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Although asbestos use in this country has dropped in recent decades, a steady number of people are still getting mesothelioma. That's because this cancer can take anywhere from 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure before symptoms appear, and an oncologist can make a definitive diagnosis.

While there's no cure for mesothelioma and the outlook is generally poor, researchers have made significant progress in understanding the cancer and developing new treatment options and alternative therapies.

How Does Asbestos Cause Cancer?

Mesothelioma typically develops after people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace – in industrial settings, shipyards, auto repair shops, old houses, schools and public buildings. While it usually takes long-term exposure to put someone at risk, short-term and one-time exposures are also known to cause this cancer.

Body Inhaling Asbestos
Asbestos inhalation occurs
Asbestos Fibers lodging in the mesothelial tissue
Fibers lodge in mesothelial tissue
 Asbestos Fibers in the mesothelial tissue
Fibers cause cellular damage, resulting in tumor growth
Fast Fact: 70-80 percent of people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos at work.

Asbestos can cause health complications when work duties or other activities disturb asbestos-containing materials and release fibers into the air. When we inhale or swallow these microscopic fibers, our bodies struggle to get rid of them. Over decades, the trapped fibers trigger biological changes that can cause inflammation, scarring and genetic damage that sometimes leads to cancer. The lengthy gap between asbestos exposure and diagnosis is called the latency period.

Asbestos fibers most often become trapped in the lining of the lungs, called the pleura. They also can collect in the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum) or heart (pericardium). Once fibers cause biological damage, the stage is set for the decades-long latency period for the development of malignant mesothelioma.

Learn More about How Asbestos Causes Cancer
Why Is Cancer Stage Important?

Although several factors help determine your prognosis, or survival outlook, it is most affected by the stage of your cancer. Your doctors will perform tests to determine your cancer stage, typically a number I-IV that describes the seriousness of your diagnosis. Your cancer stage helps doctors determine the treatment options likely to work best for you.

Understand What Your Prognosis Means
Factors That Affect Prognosis Include:
Type/stage of mesothelioma
Tumor cell type
Overall health
Gender
Size and location of tumor
Blood characteristics
What Are the Different Types of Mesothelioma?

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of the disease, representing about 75 percent of all diagnoses. Peritoneal is the second most common type, accounting for 10 to 20 percent of diagnoses. Approximately 1 percent of cases are of the pericardial variety. Another rare type known as testicular mesothelioma represents less than 1 percent of all mesotheliomas.

Pleural Mesothelioma - Cancer of the Lung Lining
Pleural

It forms on the lining of the lungs, and current studies are leading to improved treatment and survival rates.

Learn about pleural mesothelioma
Peritoneal Mesothelioma - Cancer of the Abdomen Lining
Peritoneal

It affects the lining of the abdominal cavity and responds best to a combination of surgery and heated chemotherapy.

Learn about peritoneal mesothelioma
Pericardial Mesothelioma - Cancer of the Heart Lining
Pericardial

Emerging from the lining of the heart, it's the most challenging to treat because of the sensitive location.

Learn about pericardial mesothelioma
What Are the Common Symptoms of Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma symptoms can be so mild that few people notice or recognize them, and many don't experience any of them until later stages of the cancer. Fatigue and slight pain around the tumor may surface in early stages. Late-stage symptoms are more noticeable and commonly provoke people to visit the doctor.

These late-onset signs can include shortness of breath, chronic pain near the tumor, weight loss, fluid buildup or bowel obstruction. Effective therapies can relieve symptoms, and some treatments, like talc pleurodesis, can even prevent symptom recurrence.

Symptoms you may experience include:
Fatigue
Pain near tumor
Shortness of breath
Dry cough
Weight loss
Fluid buildup
Bowel obstruction
Difficulty swallowing
Detailed Information About Your Symptoms
How Is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?

Doctors use several tests to diagnose malignant mesothelioma. Everyone has a unique path to a diagnosis, but the most important tests needed for an accurate diagnosis are imaging scans and biopsies. Doctors use several tests to diagnose malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Imaging Scan
Imaging Scans
Most people initially undergo a basic chest X-ray to check for any abnormalities. If an abnormal growth is detected, doctors will recommend a more detailed imaging scan such as a PET scan, CT scan or MRI.

Mesothelioma Biopsy
Biopsies
If cancer is suspected, doctors will recommend taking a sample of tissue, also knowns as a biopsy. Doctors use this tissue sample to definitively confirm the presence of mesothelioma cells.

Blod Test
Blood Tests
Blood tests are also available, but they do not confirm the presence of mesothelioma. Research and development is underway to determine if blood tests can aid in early diagnosis for at-risk former asbestos workers.

Doctor Going over mesothelioma stage with patient
Staging
There are at least five staging systems doctors use to stage pleural mesothelioma. The most widely used is the IMIG staging system. There are currently no universal staging systems for the cancer's other types.
What Treatment Options Are Available?

The leading treatment options for mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Many specialists prefer to combine two or more of these treatments, an approach known as multimodal therapy. Clinical trials show this approach has improved survival rates.

Palliative treatments that ease symptoms are quite common for patients of all stages, and experimental therapies like immunotherapy show progress for the future. Additionally, many survivors tout less-traditional alternative treatments for helping them to live longer.

Surgery Icon
Surgery
Curative surgery is available for people with early stage mesothelioma, while palliative surgery is best for easing the symptoms of those diagnosed at a later stage.

Learn more about mesothelioma surgery
Chemotherapy Icon
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a standard treatment to kill cancer cells, shrink tumors, prevent recurrence and relieve symptoms.

Learn more about chemotherapy
Radiation Icon
Radiation
Radiation therapy is used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or surgery to kill cancer cells, manage tumors and prevent cancer from spreading along the path of a biopsy incision.

Learn more about radiation therapy

What Legal Help Is Available?

Many people with mesothelioma seek legal help to recoup medical expenses and secure a financial future for their families. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are entirely preventable, but the companies that mined, manufactured and sold asbestos products put profits before the health of customers and their own employees. Our legal system ensures these companies are held accountable for their negligence.

Fast Fact: A 2011 report from the Government Accountability Office reported that $36.8 billion remained in asbestos trusts. This money was set aside to help compensate victims of asbestos exposure and their families.

People who were injured by asbestos can seek legal help through an established asbestos trust fund or by filing a lawsuit against the companies responsible for their asbestos exposure. Trust fund benefits, winning legal claims or out of court settlements can help you and your family cover treatment, lost wages and other expenses.

Financial assistance
Filing a Lawsuit
Manufacturers that used asbestos could have prevented their workers and others from getting exposed to the deadly mineral. Filing a lawsuit can ensure they are held financially responsible for their negligence.

Get Started Now
Money awarded for asbestos lawsuit
Verdicts
The outcome of an asbestos-related lawsuit can vary because each case comes with its own set of facts, but juries have returned with verdicts of $337 million (for Alfred Todak), $30.3 million (for Susan Buttitta) and $22 million (for Eugene McCarthy and Walter Koczur).

Learn more
Signing legal document
Settlements
Most asbestos-related lawsuits are settled out of court — before they to go trial. A paper trail of occupational exposure can lead defendants to settle out of court to avoid lawsuit expenses as soon as possible. Settlements can range from moderate to large sums.