Mesothelioma is a very difficult disease to diagnose as the early symptoms are very subtle, and often dismissed as common every day ailments. Patients often live up to 6 months with symptoms before being diagnosed with Mesothelioma.

Of all Pleural Mesothelioma patients, approximately 60% experience side chest pain, lower back pain, and shortness of breath. Some [...]

Asbestos
Asbestos Exposure is the most predominate cause of Mesothelioma
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Radiation
Thorium Dioxide (Thorotrast) has been linked to Mesothelioma
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Zeolite
A type of silica sand with properties similiar to asbestos found only in Turkey
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Simian Virus 40
Simian Virus 40 (SV30), a disease found in humans and animals
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Tobacco
Smoking added to asbestos exposure leads to Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer
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Smoking by itself has not been linked to Mesothelioma, but people exposed to asbestos who also smoke have a fifty to ninety percent higher chance of developing lung cancer. Research has shown that lung cancer is the leading cause of death for those people exposed to asbestos.

Simian Virus 40 (SV30), a virus that affects humans and animals, has been linked to Mesothelioma. The exact relationship between SV30 and the formation of Mesothelioma is still unclear, further studies and research is currently being conducted.

Zeolite, a silica based mineral with properties similiar to asbestos, found in the Anatoli region of Turkey, has been linked to some Mesothelioma cases.

Thorium Dioxide (Thorotrast), a substance previously used in x-rays has been reportedly linked to the formation of Pleural Mesothelioma and Peritoneal Mesothelioma. The use of Thorium Dioxide has been discontinued for many years since this connection to Mesothelioma was discovered.

Asbestos exposure is the leading risk factor associated with Mesothelioma. Asbestos is an insulating material composed of magnesium-silicate mineral fibers. Since researchers have indentified increasing links between Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure, the material is now rarely used. Prior to the discovery of this connection, millions of people across the world have experienced serious exposure to [...]

Malignant Mesothelioma
An uncommon form of Mesothelioma
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Pleural Mesothelioma
Type of Mesothelioma that affects the chest and lungs
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Type of Mesothelioma that affects the abdomen
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Pericardial Mesothelioma
Type of Mesothelioma that affects the heart
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Benign Mesothelioma
Type of Mesothelioma that affects the peritoneum
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Uncommon Mesothelioma
Type of Mesothelioma that affects uncommon sites
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There have been reports of Mesothelioma affecting the ovaries in women, and the scrotum in men. Treatment for these rare and uncommon forms of Mesothelioma will vary depending on the stage a patient has progressed to. The survival rate for patients with uncommon Mesothelioma is not favorable.

Benign Mesothelioma affects the peritoneum, and women of younger age. Benign Mesothelioma is rarely diagnosed, and is not a malignant form of Mesothelioma. Benign Mesothelioma is extremely difficult to identify and diagnose, and requires specialized microscopes and immunologic techniques.