What Is Mesothelioma?
Pleural Mesothelioma
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Pathophysiology
Mesothelioma Epidemiology
Mesothelioma Treatment
Prevention of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Prognosis
Mesothelioma Information
Mesothelioma News
Mesothelioma Lawyers
References

What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. There is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.