Mesothelioma: “Asbestos Cancer”
What is mesothelioma?

Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all diseases related to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a cancer particularly difficult for doctors to diagnose. The cancer does not respond well to therapy.
Mesothelial cells are special cells that cover the chest, abdominal, and heart cavities. These cells also cover other internal organs as well. These cells gather to form tissue called mesothelium.
The mesothelium produces a special protective lubricating fluid that lets organs move around. This fluid helps the lungs move without friction within the chest cavity as you breathe. A special protective lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around is produced by the mesothelium. This protective fluid helps the lungs to move without resistance inside the chest cavity while breathing. The medical name for the mesothelium of the chest is the pleura and the medical name for the mesothelium of the abdomen is the peritoneum. The mesothelium of the space around the heart is called the pericardium.
A cancerous tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma was recognized as a tumor of the three areas of mesothelium in the 1700s. However, it was not until 1960 that this tumor was described in more detail and its connection to asbestos exposure was finally recognized. J.C. Wagner wrote the first report linking mesothelioma to asbestos. He described thirty-two cases of workers in the “Asbestos Hills” in South Africa. The relationship between mesothelioma and asbestos has since been confirmed in studies around the world.
Mesothelioma rates in the US remains low; 14 out of every million people are affected per year. However, there is also a threefold increase in mesothelioma in males between the years 1970 to 1984. This is directly related to increased occupational exposure to asbestos in plants and shipbuilding facilities.
Although the disease is more commonly seen in men over sixty, women and young children can also become afflicted with the disease. The cause of the disease within these two groups is less understood, but many of the cases within these groups also carry the possibility of asbestos exposure as well.
Malignant mesotheliomas are divided into three main types. Two of the rarer types are the sarcomatoid type (7%-20%), and the mixed/biphasic type (20%-35%).About 50% to 70% of mesotheliomas are the epithelioid type. This type has the best prognosis (outlook for survival). Treatment options for all three types are the same.
About 10% to 20% mesotheliomas begin in the abdomen. These are called peritoneal mesotheliomas. About 75% of mesotheliomas start in the chest cavity. They are known as pleural mesotheliomas. Pericardial mesotheliomas, those starting in the cavity around the heart, are very rare. The covering layer of the testicles is actually an outpouching of peritoneum into the scrotum. Mesotheliomas that affect this covering of the testicles are quite rare.