mesothelioma

The tissue that lines your lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs is called mesothelium. Mesothelioma, also known as malignant mesothelioma, is cancer of that tissue. It usually starts in the lungs, but can also start in the abdomen or other organs.

Malignant mesothelioma is rare but serious. Most people who get it have worked or lived in places where they inhaled or swallowed asbestos particles. After being exposed to asbestos, it usually takes a long time for the disease to form.

Symptoms include:

• Trouble breathing
• Cough
• Pain under the rib cage
• Pain, swelling, or lumps in the abdomen
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Blood clots
• Constipation
• Fatigue

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. To find out if you have mesothelioma, your health care provider will likely use a physical exam, imaging tests, and a biopsy.

Malignant mesothelioma is often found when it is advanced. This makes it harder to treat. Treatment options may include:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals with long, thin fibers. It was once used widely as insulation. It also occurs in the environment. Asbestos fibers are so small you can't see them. If you disturb asbestos, the fibers can float in the air. This makes them easy to inhale, and some may become lodged in the lungs.

If you breathe in high levels of asbestos over a long period of time, the fibers can build up in the lungs. This causes scarring and inflammation, and can affect breathing. Eventually it can lead to diseases such as:

• Asbestosis, or scarring of the lungs that makes it hard to breathe
• Mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or abdomen
• Lung cancer

Lung diseases associated with asbestos usually develop over many years. People who become ill from asbestos are usually exposed on the job over long periods of time. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Your peritoneum is the tissue that lines your abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in your abdomen. A liquid, peritoneal fluid, lubricates the surface of this tissue.

Disorders of the peritoneum are not common. They include:

• Peritonitis - an inflammation of the peritoneum
• Cancer
• Complications from peritoneal dialysis

Your doctor may use imaging tests or lab tests to analyze the peritoneal fluid to diagnose the problem. Treatment of peritoneal disorders depends on the cause.