Exposure to asbestos can cause a rare form of cancer known as malignant mesothelioma. This cancer specifically affects the mesothelial lining of the organs in the body. Unfortunately, as the name suggests, the cancer is quite serious and patients diagnosed with the disease have a poor prognosis.

Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally in the earth and is found in mines. It was used for a variety of purposes up until the last few decades when it was discovered that asbestos exposure could be deadly. The mineral was used in many applications in the construction and automotive industry as well as in shipyards due to its fireproof and insulating properties.

Left alone, asbestos is typically inert, but when the material becomes airborne, asbestos can be inhaled where it can cause inflammation in the body and lead to scarring, and eventually the development of malignant mesothelioma cancer cells.

There is a long period between the time an individual is exposed to asbestos and then later develops mesothelioma. Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed three to five decades after asbestos exposure, and many individuals may not link their cancer diagnosis with their previous employment 30 to 50 years ago.

Three Types of Malignant Mesothelioma

There are three main types of malignant mesothelioma, and they are categorized by their location in the body. In addition to these three types, there are some cases where malignant mesothelioma develops in another location, such as in the testicles, but the vast majority of malignant mesothelioma cases fall under the following three types:

• Pleural Malignant Mesothelioma

The most common type of malignant mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma and it accounts for approximately 70% of all mesothelioma diagnoses. This particular type of mesothelioma affects the mesothelial lining of the lungs and chest cavity. As it is the most common type of mesothelioma, more research is available about this particular form of malignant mesothelioma and more treatment options are also available.

• Peritoneal Malignant Mesothelioma

The second most common type of malignant mesothelioma is peritoneal malignant mesothelioma, accounting for about 15 to 20% of all mesothelioma cases. This type of mesothelioma affects the abdominal mesothelial lining. Although it is not as common as pleural malignant mesothelioma, there is a new treatment that has become available for this type of mesothelioma.

Hyperthermia Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, also known as HIPEC, has shown promising results for patients suffering from peritoneal malignant mesothelioma.

• Pericardial Malignant Mesothelioma

As the most rare form of mesothelioma, pericardial malignant mesothelioma affects the mesothelial lining of the heart and represents at most 1% of diagnosed malignant mesothelioma cases. This type of malignant mesothelioma has the poorest prognosis and has been known to affect younger individuals.

Treating Malignant Mesothelioma

Overall, treatment of malignant mesothelioma is not as successful as it is for other types of cancer since mesothelioma is typically diagnosed in its later stages. In some cases, surgery to remove the mesothelial lining as well as adjacent organs and lymph nodes is sometimes successful. Other times, chemotherapy and radiation may be of some help as well, but overall, the treatment prognosis remains poor.