Asbestos exposure causes a very rare form of cancer called mesothelioma. This cancer can appear as either a benign or a malignant cancer. Most mesothelioma cases are found to be malignant. When mesothelioma is malignant, it can be divided into three types, dependent upon where in the body the cancer first develops.
The most common mesothelioma type is pleural mesothelioma. This mesothelioma type is the most widely diagnosed. It encompasses as many as 75 percent of mesothelioma cases. With pleural mesothelioma, the cancer is found in the area around the lungs called the pleural cavity.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is diagnosed in about 10 to 20 percent of mesothelioma cases. This type is found in the abdomen, including the intestines and the stomach. Peritoneal mesothelioma has a high rate of mortality because its symptoms are easily mistaken for other, less serious illnesses.
While pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma are by far the most common types of the disease, there is a rarer form. Pericardial mesothelioma is diagnosed when the cancer is found around the heart. This type sometimes spreads from the heart to the lungs, making it an extremely dangerous form of the disease. Fewer than 10 percent of mesothelioma patients are diagnosed with this type.
All malignant forms of mesothelioma are serious forms of cancer with low long-term survival rates. All mesothelioma types are the result of the patient's exposure to asbestos. In the past few years, medical advances have made it possible for mesothelioma patients to live longer and more comfortably.
