Mesothelioma is a rare but deadly form of cancer that can attack the sac that lines the outside of the lungs (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). Mesothelium refers to the layer of cells that covers any membrane in the body. About 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Men are three to five times more likely than women to get mesothelioma.
About 75 percent of mesotheliomas begin in the chest cavity and another 10 to 20 percent begins in the abdomen. Very rarely, mesotheliomas can begin around the heart and in the tissue around the testicles. The three main types of mesotheliomas are epithelioid, mixed/biphasic and sarcomatoid. About 50 to 70 percent are of the epithelioid type, which has the best survival outlook. The treatment choices for all three are the same.
Asbestos exposure is responsible for 70 to 80 percent of cases of mesothelioma. Less than 10 percent of people diagnosed with mesothelioma will survive for five years or longer. The median survival for disease that has not spread is 16 months; for extensive disease, average survival is five months.
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