Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma, more commonly known as simply mesothelioma, is a form of cancer that has become increasingly familiar to the public due to law suits filed on the behalf of patients with this condition. It is caused by exposure to asbestos that may have occurred 20 to 50 years prior to its diagnosis.
Mesothelioma is named for a membrane called the mesothelium which is comprised of two layers. The purpose of this membrane is to both cover and protect the body’s organs by providing lubrication between the one layer which surrounds an organ and the second layer which forms a sac around it. These layers allow the organs to move easily with interfering with each other.In Mesothelioma the cells of the mesothelium react, as do any cells that have become cancerous, by dividing indiscriminately and invading and damaging tissues outside of the mesothelium. The symptoms caused by this form of cancer vary by location. 
Pleural mesothelioma affects the mesothelium of the lungs and results in chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath brought on by an accumulation of fluid between the layers of the pleura. The peritoneal metsothelium protects the abdominal cavity and may cause any of the following: bowel obstruction, anemia, fever, abdominal swelling due to buildup of fluid, weight loss and a general weakening and wasting of the body.
The major risk factor for developing mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals in the form of strong, flexible fibers capable of being woven into fire retardant material. When asbestos particles floating in the air are inhaled or swallowed they can cause serious health problem, only one of which is mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos can increase the risk for several other kinds of cancer such as cancer of the lung, larynx and kidney in addition to asbestoses which is a non cancerous, chronic lung condition.
Although between 70 and 80 percent of all cases of mesothelioma can be traced to a history of asbestos work the disease has been seen in some individuals not known to have had any exposure to asbestos. There is reason to believe that simple regularly washing the clothes of someone who worked with asbestos can be adequate exposure to cause mesothelioma. Even though there is no known connection between mesothelioma and smoking, the chance of suffering from other asbestos-induced cancers is greatly increased by smoking.
Diagnosing mesothelioma can be problematic due to the similarity of its symptoms to those of other conditions. A review of the patient’s medical history that shows an exposure to asbestos will produce a suspicion of the disease, if no other cause for symptoms is known. While other tests may increase those suspicions, a biopsy is generally needed to confirm a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. Other clues which would rule out other cancers in favor of mesothelioma include: Mesothelioma does not spread to the bone, brain or adrenal glands, and pleural tumors are usually just found on one side of the lungs.
Screening tests which could diagnose mesothelioma in earlier stages then it is normally found would greatly improve the survival rates, but unfortunately, at the moment there is no universally agreed protocol for this. Despite improvements in prognosis due to newer chemotherapies and multi-modality treatments the prognosis for mesothelioma still remains poor in most cases.
Surgery, by itself, has not provided very good results and radiation utilized alone would require a toxic dose.
Research shows, however, that surgery combined with radiation or chemotherapy can extend life expectancy for more then five years in certain patient populations. Immune therapy has shown variable results. Some patients have experience major side effects from some immune therapy treatments where as other immune therapy treatment has proven more promising with 20 percent having a higher then 50 percent reduction in tumor mass while experiencing little side effects.
Mesothelioma’s frequent appearance in the news and in commercials is due to law suits to collect damages for it as well as other asbestos-related diseases. This may give the impression that mesothelioma is more common then it is. Even in countries like Australia, Belgium and Britain that the highest rates it is still 300 times less prevalent then lung cancer is in countries with the highest smoking rates.