Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs (pleura), or around the abdominal organs (peritoneum).

How is asbestos connected to mesothelioma?

The only known cause of mesothelioma is previous exposure to asbestos fibers. Although asbestos manufacturers became aware of the dangers nearly eighty years ago, they kept it a secret from the public. Some workers were first warned about asbestos exposure in the mid 1960’s. However, many workers may have received inadequate warnings, and the true dangers of asbestos may have never been fully disclosed. Today, some workers are surprisingly exposed to asbestos despite common knowledge of its dangers. Consequently they are at risk for contracting mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related health problems.

Two Main Types of Mesothelioma—Pleural Mesothelioma and Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma

There are two kinds of pleural mesothelioma—malignant (cancerous) and benign. Benign tumors can often be removed surgically, and usually are not life threatening, and are not related to asbestos exposure. Malignant mesotheliomas, however, are serious, though thankfully rare. About two thousand people are diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma each year in the United States

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the pleura--the lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs. The only known case of this disease is previous exposure to asbestos fibers.  The exposure may have occurred 20 or 30 years before the onset of the disease, and accounts for approximately 75 percent of all mesothelioma cases.

Pleural mesothelioma tumors can sometimes be detected in a routine chest x-ray, before any symptoms occur.  When symptoms do present themselves, they usually include shortness of breath, loss of appetite, weight loss, chest pains, lower back pains, persistent coughing, difficulty swallowing, or some combination of the above. An initial medical examination often shows accumulation of fluid in the area between the lungs and chest wall. The first step in detecting pleural mesothelioma is, typically, a chest x-ray or CT scan. This is often followed by a bronchoscopy, using a viewing scope to look inside the lungs. The actual diagnosis usually requires obtaining a piece of tissue through a biopsy.

There is as yet no known cure for malignant pleural mesothelioma. The prognosis depends on various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, the extent of the tumor, the cell type, and whether or not the tumor responds to treatment.

The spread of the tumor over the pleura causes pleural thickening, which incases the lungs-- causing the lungs to become smaller and less functional. It becomes harder and harder for a pleural mesothelioma patient to breathe. The tumor spreads outward, invading the chest wall and ribs, and causing a great deal of pain.  The tumor also spreads inward further restricting breathing.

The speed with which this incurable disease spreads varies between patients. Some people can live a decade or more, but the average survival time is about a year.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a tumor in the thin membrane that surrounds many of the organs in the abdomen known as the peritoneum.  The peritoneum membrane is made of mesothelial cells.   The only known cause of peritoneal mesothelioma is previous exposure to asbestos. This form of mesothelioma accounts for 20 percent of all mesothelioma cases, and can be benign or malignant.

The tumor can sometimes be detected by a routine abdominal x-ray before any symptoms appear.  Symptoms, when they do, appear typically include weakness, abdominal pain and swelling, weight loss, loss of appetite, and nausea.   Fluid often accumulates in the peritoneal space. As the tumor grows it can impair breath and obstruct the gastro intestinal track.

At this time there are treatments, but no known cure, for peritoneal mesothelioma. The prognosis depends on various factors, including the size and stage of the tumor, its extent, the cell type, and whether or not the tumor responds to treatment. However, the options for relief and treatment of people with peritoneal mesothelioma have improved-- especially for those whose cancer is diagnosed in its early stages and treated vigorously.

If you have been diagnosed with a asbestosis, mesothelioma, or lung cancer related to inhalation of asbestos fibers, contact us immediately, so that we can begin protecting your rights.

Telephone: 816-836-5050
Toll Free: 877-436-3692

Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, P.C.
Assisting People in Missouri and Kansas Afflicted With
Pleural Mesothelioma or Peritoneal  Mesothelioma
221 West Lexington, Suite 400
Independence, Missouri 64050

Missouri Attorneys Helping People Injured
By Exposure to Asbestos Products