Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, which affects the protective lining of the cavities of lungs, heart, abdomen etc, called mesothelium. There is a common tendency to get confused between mesothelioma and lung cancer. But the former infects the lining whereas the latter affects the lung itself. Mesothelioma patients are those unfortunate people who have inhaled in asbestos particles for long durations of time.

There are three types of malignant mesothelioma. The most common type, the pleural mesothelioma, affects the pleura, or the outer covering of lungs and internal chest wall while the peritoneal and pericardial types affect the lining protecting the abdominal cavity and heart respectively. The caner is definitely a killer, but mortality rates of these three differ slightly, with the pericardial mesothelioma being touted as the most dangerous.

Asbestos particles, when inhaled, inhabit the mesothelium and in the course of a several years, retard the normal functioning of its cells. The infection usually assumes frightening proportions only after several decades. This long latency period is the reason why many of our newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients are workers who were exposed to asbestos fibers in the 1940s to 1970s.

The primary symptom of the infection is shortness of breath. This is occurred due to excessive build up of fluid in the cavities known as pleural effusion. Shortness of breath along with continuous cough is a sure sign of malignant mesothelioma attack. Other symptoms include fever, fatigue, weight loss, pain around chest, inflammation o abdomen, night sweats etc. Sometimes the symptoms are misrepresented by doctors resulting in wrong diagnosis. This can result in death of the patient due to delay in starting the treatment.

Individualized treatment is essential for mesothelioma. Here the doctors have to consider the type and stage of cancer along with the overall health of the victim. Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are the most common treatment used as in other cancers. Risks are involved in this approach due to the fact that most of the patients would be at the last stage of malignant mesothelioma at the time of diagnosis. If the doctors find the disease incurable, palliative treatment is given to the patient. Still, since research works are going on regarding promising modern techniques of treatment, there is hope.