What is Mesothelioma ?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. In this disease, malignant develop in the cellsmesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year.

Symptoms :
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Doctors typically address the cancer in terms of stages, ranging from stage one to stage four. Unfortunately, once mesothelioma cancer has reached stage three or four, treatment options not only become more limited but less effective as well.