What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a primary malignant (cancerous) tumor of mesothelial cells and the commonest site of mesothelioma is the lungs or pleura. But sometimes mesothelioma may also occur though rarely in peritoneum (it is the lining of abdominal cavity), pericardium (outer covering of the heart) or tunica vaginalis. Mesothelial cells line pleural cavity of the lungs, so it is common in the lungs. Pleura is the covering of the lungs. Mesothelial cells also line other body’s internal organs (but mesothelioma occurs rarely).
Causes of Mesothelioma:
The commonest cause of Mesothelioma is chronic exposure to asbestos. Some history of asbestos exposure can generally be elicited for almost all cases of mesothelioma, which may be inn the form of job in factory that deals in asbestos, or even washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. Asbestos is generally inhaled as asbestos particle, or asbestos dust and fiber in other ways.
There is no association of mesothelioma with smoking, unlike other lung cancers, but smoking can increase the risk of other asbestos induced and asbestos associated cancers.
Mesothelioma generally does not spread to the bone, brain, adrenal glands or to other distant sites (metastasis). Pleural tumors including mesothelioma are usually found only on one side of the lungs and there is no distant metastasis.
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Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer found in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the membrane that protects and covers most of the internal organs. The cancer affects either layer of of the two layers that make up the mesothelium. The first mesothelium layer surrounds the organ while the other creates a sac around it. It is because of its lubricating fluid that the organs are able to glide adjacent other structures.