Types Of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer that can affect the lungs, abdomen and/or heart. This type of lung cancer is considered rare. It affects the thin mesothelium membranes, both parietal and visceral, that surround the lungs.
Instead of creating tumors, as with most cancers, mesothelioma expands outward from the thin layers of tissue in the mesothelium to compress the lung, heart or abdominal organs/cavity. In pleural mesothelioma, the tissue surrounding the lungs becomes hardened, causing friction with the chest wall. This makes it very painful to breathe, as the lungs attempt to expand to normal capacity. The types are named for the anatomy affected: pleural (comprises approximately two-thirds of the cases), peritoneal (stomach/abdomen in less than one-third of the cases) and pericardial (the rarest form, affecting the sac surrounding the heart).
