Category Archives: Meso Facts

Mesothelioma is the name of a cancerous tumor that comes from the cells of the mesothelioum, a thin protective lining that covers many internal body organs including the lungs. Here you will find many facts about mesothelioma presented by Dr. Gill, a professor of Medicine and Pathology and head of the tumor and vascular biology laboratory at the University of Southern California. His clinical affiliation is with the USC Ambulatory Health Center and he is the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America.

Meso Facts

How to find a doctor for a second opinion about Mesothelioma

Do not be afraid to ask your doctor for a recommendation to get a second opinion, particularly when you have a good relationship with them.  Sometimes an internist or family doctor knows a practitioner who sees patients with Mesothelioma when there is Mesothelioma Care Center near by.

When your doctor cannot assist you in finding a second opinion, you can find one when you ask Dr. Gill the oncologist here at the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America.  Dr. Gill will  help you find the closest doctors who are experts in this field.   Another option is to check local medical schools to discover if they treat Mesothelioma.  You can use our web page to find additional references and links to government cancer websites.

Finally, you are welcome to post comments, ask questions and share your insights here which allows other individuals to respond and share information.

Meso Facts

What kinds of tests for Mesothelioma can the doctor request?

Pleural Mesothelioma is easier to diagnose then Peritoneal Mesothelioma.

There are three (3) useful tests when beginning to diagnose your condition:

With the use of X-rays a photographic image is obtained from low doses of high energy radiation.  High doses of X-rays can be used to treat some cancers and is called radiation therapy.

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Meso Facts

How can I be sure about a correct diagnosis of Mesothelioma, and who tells me about the biopsy results?

The doctor who began your evaluation for cancer will generally be the one responsible to provide the diagnosis.  This could be your primary care provider. Those persons who were referred to an oncologist will probably receive their diagnosis from that specialist.  The doctor that delivers the diagnosis message should inform you about the certainty of the pathologist regarding your biopsy.  Ask for all the information that is available.  The best doctors will share any doubts.

Meso Facts

How do I find out if my doctor is experienced with Mesothelioma treatment?

Just be frank with your doctor and ask her.  Many doctors may never see Mesothelioma because only 3000 – 4000 new cases of the disease occur each year.  Of course the doctors that service an area in which the industry exposes the public to asbestos will see more mesothelioma cases and therefore have greater familiarity with the cancer.  Sometimes the larger medical care centers will also have doctors who have seen more cases of mesothelioma.

You simply have to ask.  Reputable doctors will not take offense and instead empathize with your concern.  Find a new doctor if she does become defensive.

Ask our Dr. Gill at the research foundation.  He will gladly give impartial, professional advice and make a referral.

Meso Facts

The Symptoms of having Mesothelioma

Kinds of Mesothelioma Symptoms

There is a latent period between when a person comes in contact with asbestos and the onset of mesothelioma cancer.  After a latency period of 15 to 40 or more years after initial exposure to asbestos, a patient will typically demonstrates symptoms mesothelioma.  So mesothelioma can take decades to develop with the symptoms not arising until after the cancer has set in. Because mesothelioma has symptoms that resemble many less serious illnesses a lot of  patients go unaware to how sever the disease is in their body.

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Meso Facts

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a group of six fibrous minerals that occur naturally in metamorphic deposits located around the world.  Asbestos fibers are durable, strong, flexible, resistant to wear, they don’t burn, it is abundant and inexpensive to work with.

Of the hydrous magnesium silicate variety, the six types include tremolite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, chrysotile asbestos, amosite asbestos and crocidolite asbestos.  Asbestos is a chemically inert mineral that is fire resistanct and does not conduct heat or electricity (making it a commonly used insulator), is insoluble and is without odor. Asbestos’ combination of properties made it a valuable resource, regularly used in buildings, automobiles, shipyards and a variety of household products.

Meso Facts

How to prevent getting Mesothelioma.

One gets mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos.  So prevention for getting the disease is choosing to avoid exposure to asbestos and eliminating sources of asbestos to be exposed to.  Asbestos is not gone from the environment or workplace even after the many limitations that have been placed on its use.  Asbestos has not been banned in the United States even though there has been a growing body of medical research, cancer cases, and well documented dangers at it.

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) issued a ruling on July 12, 1989 to ban nearly all products containing asbestos.

The fourth circuit of the US Court of Appeals overturned an EPA ban on asbestos.
US Court of Appeals says the EPA can not ban all asbestos products

But in 1991 this rule was overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans and consequently only the following six specific asbestos-containing product categories remain banned; many other products containing asbestos continue to be sold and manufactured today in the U.S.:

  1. Commercial paper
  2. Specialty paper
  3. Rollboard
  4. Flooring felt
  5. Corrugated paper
  6. New uses of asbestos

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Meso Facts

What causes Mesothelioma? (part 1 of 2)

Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause malignant Mesothelioma
A single fiber of asbestos can cause malignant Mesothelioma 15 – 50 years after exposure

Asbestos exposure is almost always the primary cause of mesothelioma cancer.  Mesothelioma might also be caused by a few other factors, but this opinion is a continuing area of research.

While today, the average asbestos levels in buildings seem to be very low, an estimated three (3) million employees in construction and general manufacturing industries still face significant asbestos exposure on the job.  These people will become victims of asbestos exposure. The greatest exposures to asbestos are still in the construction trades.  The primary exposure to the dangers of asbestos are during the removal of products made with asbestos during renovation or demolition of buildings.  And of course, everyone exposed to breathing the dust particles created by the terrorist attack on the Twin Tower Trade buildings on September 11, 2001 are at high risk of developing Mesothelioma.  The risk of developing Mesothelioma increases over time, from 15 to 30 years, after the exposure to asbestos has stopped.

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Meso Facts

Who can get Mesothelioma Cancer?

Everybody who has been exposed to asbestos may develop mesothelioma.  An estimated 3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job, even though the average asbestos levels in buildings today seem to be very low.

Asbestos causes mesothelioma lung cancer
Asbestos was used as a fire retardant

The more exposure one has one has to asbestos, the greater the risk of having mesothelioma cancer.  Work environments are the primary source where people get exposed to asbestos and later in life develop the disease.

The greatest exposures to workers are in construction trades.   Asbestos was used in building insulation, cement, automobile brakes, roofing shingles, flooring, piping and this is a small sample.  So many workers were exposed during the manufacturing of asbestos products.  Asbestos-related illness is also occurring in shipyard workers, school custodians, miners, railroad workers and even movie set workers.

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Meso Facts

What is the meaning of the word “Pleura”?

Pleura is the general name given to the mesothelium that lines the chest cavity.  Mesothelium surrounds the lungs and other organs.  The mesothelium layer that surrounds the lungs is called the visceral pleura.  The mesothelium layer inside the chest wall is called the parietal pleura.  And the space found between these layers is called the pleural space.

visceral pleura parietal pleura

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