BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuMalignant mesotheliomaMesothelioma - malignant; Malignant pleura mesothelioma (MPM)Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon cancerous tumor. It mainly affects the lining of the lung and chest cavity (pleura) or lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). It is due to long-term asbestos exposure.TumorA tumor is an abnormal growth of body tissue. Tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Long-term exposure to asbestos is the biggest risk factor. Asbestos is a fire-resistant material. It was once commonly found in insulation, ceiling and roofing vinyls, cement, and car brakes. Even though many asbestos workers smoked, experts do not believe smoking itself is a cause of this condition.Older veterans make up 30% of the cases of mesothelioma due to exposure in the military ship, vehicle, and plane industry.Men are affected more often than women. The average age at diagnosis is 60 years. Most people seem to develop the condition about 30 years after being in contact with the asbestos. Symptoms Symptoms may not appear until 20 to 40 years or longer after exposure to asbestos, and may include:Abdominal bloating Abdominal bloatingAbdominal bloating is a condition in which the belly (abdomen) feels full and tight. Your belly may look swollen (distended).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chest pain, especially when taking a deep breath Chest painChest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cough Fatigue Shortness of breath Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Weight loss Fever and sweating Exams and Tests The health care provider will do an examination and ask the person about their symptoms and medical history. Tests that may be done include:Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chest CT scan Cytology of pleural fluid Cytology of pleural fluidA cytology exam of pleural fluid is a laboratory test to detect cancer cells and certain other cells in the fluid from the area that surrounds the lu...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open lung biopsy Open lung biopsyAn open lung biopsy is surgery to remove a small piece of tissue from the lung. The sample is then examined for cancer, infection, or lung disease....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pleural biopsyPleural biopsyPleural biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of the pleura. This is the thin tissue that lines the chest cavity and surrounds the lungs. The bi...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Mesothelioma is often hard to diagnose. Under the microscope, it can be hard to tell this disease apart from similar conditions and tumors. Treatment Malignant mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to treat.There is usually no cure, unless the disease is found very early and the tumor can be completely removed with surgery. Most of the time, when the disease is diagnosed, it is too advanced for surgery. Chemotherapy or radiation may be used to reduce symptoms. Combining certain chemotherapy drugs may help decrease symptoms, but it will not cure the cancer.ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Untreated, most people survive about 9 months.Participating in a clinical trial (test of new treatments), may give the person more treatment options.Pain relief, oxygen, and other supportive treatments may also help relieve symptoms. Support Groups You can ease the stress of illness by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems.Support groupThe following organizations are good resources for information on cancer:American Cancer Society. Support and online communities. www. cancer. org/...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) The survival time varies greatly from several months to several years. Outlook depends on:The location of the mesothelioma The cell type of the mesothelioma The stage of the tumor The person's age and general health Whether surgery is an option The person's response to treatment You and your family may want to start thinking about end-of-life planning, such as:Palliative care Palliative carePalliative care helps people with serious illnesses feel better by preventing or treating symptoms and side effects of disease and treatment....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Hospice care Hospice careHospice care helps people with illnesses that cannot be cured and who may be nearing death. The goal is to give comfort and peace instead of a cure....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Advance care directives Advance care directivesWhen you are very ill or injured, you may not be able to make health care choices for yourself. If you are unable to speak for yourself, your health...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Health care agentsHealth care agentsWhen you are unable to speak for yourself due to an illness, your health care providers may be unclear as to what type of care you would like. A heal...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Possible Complications Complications of malignant mesothelioma may include:Side effects of chemotherapy or radiation Continued spread of cancer to other organs When to Contact a Medical Professional Call for an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of malignant mesothelioma. Prevention Avoid exposure to asbestos.Open ReferencesReferencesBaas P, Hassan R, Nowak AK, Rice D. Malignant mesothelioma. In: Pass HI, Ball D, Scagliotti GV, eds. IASLC Thoracic Oncology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 53.Davies HE, Sterman D, Gary Lee YC. Pleural malignancy. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 114.McCool FD. Diseases of the diaphragm, chest wall, pleura, and mediastinum. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 92.National Cancer Institute website. Malignant mesothelioma treatment (adult) (PDQ) -- Health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma/hp/mesothelioma-treatment-pdq. Updated January 14, 2022. Accessed June 24, 2022.AllVideoImagesTogRespiratory system - illustration Air is breathed in through the nasal passageways, travels through the trachea and bronchi to the lungs.Respiratory systemillustrationRespiratory system - illustration Air is breathed in through the nasal passageways, travels through the trachea and bronchi to the lungs.Respiratory systemillustrationRelated Information Tumor(Condition)Breathing difficulty(Symptoms)Pleural effusion(Condition) Review Date: 4/29/2022 Reviewed By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Malignant mesotheliomaMesothelioma - malignant; Malignant pleura mesothelioma (MPM)Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon cancerous tumor. It mainly affects the lining of the lung and chest cavity (pleura) or lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). It is due to long-term asbestos exposure.TumorA tumor is an abnormal growth of body tissue. Tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Long-term exposure to asbestos is the biggest risk factor. Asbestos is a fire-resistant material. It was once commonly found in insulation, ceiling and roofing vinyls, cement, and car brakes. Even though many asbestos workers smoked, experts do not believe smoking itself is a cause of this condition.Older veterans make up 30% of the cases of mesothelioma due to exposure in the military ship, vehicle, and plane industry.Men are affected more often than women. The average age at diagnosis is 60 years. Most people seem to develop the condition about 30 years after being in contact with the asbestos. Symptoms Symptoms may not appear until 20 to 40 years or longer after exposure to asbestos, and may include:Abdominal bloating Abdominal bloatingAbdominal bloating is a condition in which the belly (abdomen) feels full and tight. Your belly may look swollen (distended).Read Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chest pain, especially when taking a deep breath Chest painChest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cough Fatigue Shortness of breath Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Weight loss Fever and sweating Exams and Tests The health care provider will do an examination and ask the person about their symptoms and medical history. Tests that may be done include:Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Chest CT scan Cytology of pleural fluid Cytology of pleural fluidA cytology exam of pleural fluid is a laboratory test to detect cancer cells and certain other cells in the fluid from the area that surrounds the lu...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open lung biopsy Open lung biopsyAn open lung biopsy is surgery to remove a small piece of tissue from the lung. The sample is then examined for cancer, infection, or lung disease....ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pleural biopsyPleural biopsyPleural biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of the pleura. This is the thin tissue that lines the chest cavity and surrounds the lungs. The bi...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Mesothelioma is often hard to diagnose. Under the microscope, it can be hard to tell this disease apart from similar conditions and tumors. Treatment Malignant mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to treat.There is usually no cure, unless the disease is found very early and the tumor can be completely removed with surgery. Most of the time, when the disease is diagnosed, it is too advanced for surgery. Chemotherapy or radiation may be used to reduce symptoms. Combining certain chemotherapy drugs may help decrease symptoms, but it will not cure the cancer.ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Untreated, most people survive about 9 months.Participating in a clinical trial (test of new treatments), may give the person more treatment options.Pain relief, oxygen, and other supportive treatments may also help relieve symptoms. Support Groups You can ease the stress of illness by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems.Support groupThe following organizations are good resources for information on cancer:American Cancer Society. Support and online communities. www. cancer. org/...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) The survival time varies greatly from several months to several years. Outlook depends on:The location of the mesothelioma The cell type of the mesothelioma The stage of the tumor The person's age and general health Whether surgery is an option The person's response to treatment You and your family may want to start thinking about end-of-life planning, such as:Palliative care Palliative carePalliative care helps people with serious illnesses feel better by preventing or treating symptoms and side effects of disease and treatment....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Hospice care Hospice careHospice care helps people with illnesses that cannot be cured and who may be nearing death. The goal is to give comfort and peace instead of a cure....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Advance care directives Advance care directivesWhen you are very ill or injured, you may not be able to make health care choices for yourself. If you are unable to speak for yourself, your health...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Health care agentsHealth care agentsWhen you are unable to speak for yourself due to an illness, your health care providers may be unclear as to what type of care you would like. A heal...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Possible Complications Complications of malignant mesothelioma may include:Side effects of chemotherapy or radiation Continued spread of cancer to other organs When to Contact a Medical Professional Call for an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of malignant mesothelioma. Prevention Avoid exposure to asbestos.Open ReferencesReferencesBaas P, Hassan R, Nowak AK, Rice D. Malignant mesothelioma. In: Pass HI, Ball D, Scagliotti GV, eds. IASLC Thoracic Oncology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 53.Davies HE, Sterman D, Gary Lee YC. Pleural malignancy. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 114.McCool FD. Diseases of the diaphragm, chest wall, pleura, and mediastinum. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 92.National Cancer Institute website. Malignant mesothelioma treatment (adult) (PDQ) -- Health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma/hp/mesothelioma-treatment-pdq. Updated January 14, 2022. Accessed June 24, 2022.