Pleural Mesothelioma

See also:  Mesothelioma  | Pain Management

Pleural mesothelioma is a disease that affects the lining of the lungs and the most common type of mesothelioma. It is a common misconception that mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer. Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer of the serous membranes. These membranes encompass a number of organs throughout the midsection of the body, including the lungs. Mesothelioma can also affect the serous membranes surrounding the abdomen, called peritoneal mesothelioma, and the membranes surrounding the heart, or pericardial mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer

Pleural mesothelioma cancer represents about 75% of all mesothelioma cases. This disease is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers that settle in the lungs. These asbestos fibers become lodged in the lining of the lung. Over time, these fibers cause chronic inflammation that will eventually lead to growth of cancerous tumors or, in some cases, asbestosis.

Pleural mesothelioma cancer generally appears as multiple tumor masses affecting the parietal and visceral surfaces of the pleura. Typically the parietal surface has greater involvement than the visceral. The right lung generally shows a slightly higher occurrence of mesothelioma due to the fact that the right lung is larger and has a greater amount of pleural surface area. Furthermore, the lower lungs typically show more tumor masses than the upper lung. This is thought to be due to gravitational factors that influence how the asbestos fibers settle in the lungs after inhalation.

Large growths in the pleura are normally seen in patients upon diagnosis. These growths lead to a complete wipe out of the lung cavity later in the disease. The tumors can spread from the lung pleura to other organs, including the heart and abdomen. This aggressive disease can also invade the lymph nodes and blood system.

Other types of tumors also grow in the pleura; however, the are tumors that start in other parts of the body are not considered pleural mesothelioma. These tumors have metastasized to the pleura. The most common form of non-pleural mesothelioma cancer that occurs is lung cancer. The next most common forms are breast cancer (25%), ovarian cancer (5%) and gastric cancer (2%).

Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma

The most common symptom that occurs in pleural mesothelioma patients is chest pain. The pain, however, is not often directly related to the lung pleura and often appears in the shoulder or upper abdomen. Shortness of breath is also a symptom. Cough, weight loss and anorexia are present in some patients, but are less common symptoms. Pleural mesothelioma cancer tumors grow quickly and enlarge the pleural cavity, causing it to fill with fluid. This fluid leads to discomfort or pain associated with first detection of the disease. Pleural mesothelioma patients display all three types of mesothelioma cancer cells: epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer related to asbestos exposure. Get more mesothelioma information and learn about Mesothelioma Treatment.