Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma accounts for approximately seventy-five percent of all mesothelioma diagnoses in the United States. When asbestos is breathed in, the small fibers enter the deep recesses of the lung. Some asbestos fibers remain in the lung tissue where they can cause asbestosis or lung cancer. However, many asbestos fibers move from the lung to other areas of the body, including the pleura. The pleura are very thin layers of tissue that line the lungs. In a healthy person, the pleuron facilitates the movement of the lungs as we inhale and exhale air.
The most common place for mesothelioma to develop is in the mesothelial membrane, also called the pleural lining, surrounding the lungs. About two thirds of all mesothelioma cases develop in the pleural mesothelium or lung lining. Pleural mesothelioma is also known as cancer of the lung lining.
There are generally two categories of pleural mesothelioma, localized and benign, and generalized and malignant. The localized and benign version of pleural mesothelioma is not considered life threatening and is easily removed through surgery. Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma that is malignant often have one year or less to live. The early symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are often vague: Shortness of breath, chest pains, and coughing; many times individuals with pleural mesothelioma never experience early symptoms at all.
