Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor in the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities. It is a rare form of cancer, with about 3,500 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. Most people who develop this cancer have a history of exposure to the widely found carcinogen asbestos.

Malignant mesothelioma is usually not curable, although some surgical cures have been reported in a very few patients with very localized tumors. Most patients, however, have widespread disease at the time of diagnosis, with chest pain and a buildup of fluid within the cavity involved-chest or abdominal-that causes shortness of breath or abdominal swelling. Treatment at this stage, which may involve removing the fluid and the tumor, is usually directed toward relieving these symptoms.

Types
Malignant mesothelioma is a tumor that can have fibrous and epithelial elements. Epithelial cancers that develop in the tissues that cover the surface of or line internal organs are carcinomas, so the epithelial form of mesothelioma is sometimes confused with adenocarcinomas of the lung or metastatic carcinomas. Epithelial mesotheliomas seem to have a better prognosis than other types.

How It Spreads
Mesotheliomas start in the membranes lining the chest or in the membranes of the abdominal cavity. They can spread via the lymphatic channels to the lymph nodes of the middle of the chest. They can also spread via the bloodstream within and beyond the cavity of origin and metastasize to other organs such as the lungs and chest wall and to abdominal organs such as the bowel.

What Causes Mesothelioma
Inhalation of asbestos fibers is a primary cause. About 70,000 tons of asbestos is used in the United States each year, in cement, brake linings, roof shingles, insulation, flooring products and packing materials. Asbestos has also been found as a contaminant in talc, which is also associated with ovarian cancer. Many urban water reservoirs contain asbestos-like fibers, and most public and private buildings contain asbestos. Only recently has the strong association between asbestos exposure and malignancy been recognized and appropriate industrial and health standards for exposure been put into effect.

It is sometimes difficult to prove the relationship between asbestos exposure and the development of mesothelioma. The risk of developing the disease begins about fifteen years after the first exposure and increases each year up to forty to forty-five years after the first exposure. It is estimated that about 8 million people living in the United States have been occupationally exposed to asbestos over the last half century during the mining and milling of the mineral and during various manufacturing processes. It has been estimated that there will be 250,000 cases of mesothelioma in the United States and United Kingdom by the year 2025.

1. Vaccine for Asbestos-Related Cancer Looks Safe (HealthDay via Yahoo! News) - THURSDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) — An investigational vaccine for the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma is safe, according to a new study.
2. New anti-tumour vaccine for mesothelioma shows promising results (News-Medical-Net) - A vaccine against mesothelioma, a cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, has shown early promise in its first clinical trial.
3. Vaccine for Asbestos-Related Cancer Looks Safe (MedicineNet.com) - Title: Vaccine for Asbestos-Related Cancer Looks Safe Category: Health News Created: 3/4/2010 12:10:00 PM Last Editorial Review: 3/5/2010
4. Possible Vaccine For Mesothelioma Proven Safe (Medical News Today) - Researchers have demonstrated the safety of a potential vaccine against mesothelioma, a rare cancer associated primarily with asbestos exposure. The vaccine, which infuses uses a patient’s own dendritic cells (DC) with antigen from the patient’s tumor, was able to induce a T-cell response against mesothelioma tumors. “[This] is the first human study on DC-based immunotherapy in patients with …
5. Possible Mesothelioma Vaccine Proven Safe (redOrbit) - Researchers have demonstrated the safety of a potential vaccine against mesothelioma, a rare cancer associated primarily with asbestos exposure.
6. Possible vaccine for mesothelioma proven safe (Science Daily) - Researchers have demonstrated the safety of a potential vaccine against mesothelioma, a rare cancer associated primarily with asbestos exposure. The vaccine, which infuses uses a patient’s own dendritic cells with antigen from the patient’s tumor, was able to induce a T-cell response against mesothelioma tumors.
7. U.K.: Justice for Asbestos Disease Victims Requires Mesothelioma Research Funding (PRWeb) - The U.K. recognizes that society’s obligation and moral responsibility to remedy the tragic legacy of decades of asbestos use requires funding research to develop effective medical treatments. Will the United States follow? (PRWeb Mar 5, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3689764.htm
8. U.K.: Justice for Asbestos Disease Victims Requires Mesothelioma Research Funding (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) - The U.K. recognizes that society’s obligation and moral responsibility to remedy the tragic legacy of decades of asbestos use requires funding research to develop effective medical treatments. Will the United States follow?
9. Vaccine for Asbestos-Related Cancer Looks Safe (Health Scout) - In tests, novel immunotherapy appears to combat mesothelioma tumors.
10. Leeds asbestos victim’s legacy could be lifesaver (Yorkshire Evening Post) - Funds raised in memory of a heroic Leeds woman who died from asbestos-related cancer are to be used to help find a cure for the disease.

Cancer, epithelial cancers, malignant mesothelioma, malignant tumor metastatic carcinomas

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