Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma This type of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs, known as the pleura. It is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma, with around 70 percent of cases being pleural in origin. The Pleura is a Sac which houses the lungs, and consists of a thin membrane called the 'mesothelium.' The mesothelium is a vital part of the lungs because it enables them to expand and contract when breathing by secreting a fluid. This fluid is located in the lungs and inside of the rib cage. If the Pleura or the Pleural fluid becomes damaged with Cancer, it makes it very hard for the patient to breathe, thus shortness of breath is a common symptom of Pleural mesothelioma.

Types of Pleural Mesothelioma

i) Benign Pleural Mesothelioma
A Benign pleural mesothelioma is NON-Cancerous, meaning it has not spread to other parts of the body. It the masses of tumor are large, it may squeeze the lungs making it hard for the patient to breathe & cause pain.

ii) Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma is cancerous and can spread to other organs of the body. It commonly resides in the pleural sac lining of the lungs and is caused by exposure to Asbestos. More on malignant pleural mesothelioma follows below

Development of Pleural Mesothelioma
When a person is exposed to Asbestos through job related duties or in a particular environment setting, inhalation of asbestos fibers that are loose in the air can occur. These fibers can then make their way into the lung linings, outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs. To your left is an image of how Pleural Mesothelioma develops. Asbestos fibers are normally located between parietal pleura (which lines the chest wall & diaphragm) and visceral pleura (which lines the lungs). When asbestos fibers settle in the pleura, they cause inflammation which can in turn lead to development of malignant cancer. Some patients develop Asbestos first, then develop malignant mesothelioma.
Multiple tumor masses can then develop affecting both the visceral and parietal pleuras. Since the parietal pleura is located nearest to the right lung (which is larger than the left lung), it suffers more damage than the visceral pleura located near the smaller left lung. What's also interesting is that more asbestos fibers settle in the lower lungs than the upper lungs. These tumor masses can grow fairly quickly and cover entire lung cavities. When this happens, the patient feels distorting pain & shortness of breath. Also, if pleural mesothelioma develops into advanced stages, it can spread to nearby organs such as the heart, lymph nodes and abdomen.

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms
Pleural mesothelioma symptoms are often shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura. Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can also cause these signs and symptoms: chest wall pain, pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung, fatigue or anemia , wheezing, hoarseness, or cough, blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up.
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body. Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage.
Pleural mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

Pleural Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Treatment
Advanced diagnosis techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-Rays or Computed Tomography (CT) scans as well as Biopsy are used to accurately diagnose pleural mesothelioma. Biopsy samples the tissues and fluids around the lungs and looks for asbestos particles that may reside in the tissues. If asbestos particles are found, a diagnosis can be confirmed. A needle biopsy is the most common option, although it may be very uncomfortable
It is important to see a doctor about any of pleural mesothelioma symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.