Mesothelimoa Information
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, the protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it can also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).
Most people who have developed mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Research has conlcluded that there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.
A great informative site, from the US Federal Government: National Cancer Institute Questions & Answers
