Mesothelioma Info

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What Is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma, more precisely malignant mesothelioma, is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs, the mesothelium. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

Its most common site is the pleura which is an outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall, but it may also occur in the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity, the heart, the pericardium, a sac that surrounds the heart,  or tunica vaginalis.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. It has also been suggested that washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking greatly increases the risk of other asbestos-induced cancers. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma.

What Are The Symptoms Of Mesothelioma?

The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion, fluid between the lung and the chest wall, or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss. The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-Ray and CT Scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic  examination. A thoracosopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung. Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing. 

A history of asbestos exposure exists in most cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. In rare cases, mesothelioma has also been associated with irradiation, intrapleural thorium dioxide ( Thorotrast), and inhalation of other fibrous silicates, such as erionite. Some studies suggest that simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

• Chest wall pain
• Pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue or anemia
• Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
• Blood in the sputum  (fluid) coughed up ( hemoptysis)

How Is Mesothelioma Treated?

The prognosis for malignant mesothelioma remains disappointing, although there have been some modest improvements in prognosis from newer chemotherapies and multimodality treatments. Treatment of malignant mesothelioma at earlier stages has a better prognosis, but cures are exceedingly rare. Clinical behavior of the malignancy is affected by several factors including the continuous mesothelial surface of the pleural cavity which favors local metastasis via exfoliated cells, invasion to underlying tissue and other organs within the pleural cavity, and the extremely long latency period between asbestos exposure and development of the disease. The histological subtype and the patient's age and health status also help predict prognosis.

Legal issues:

The first lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers were in 1929. Since then, many lawsuits have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known (some reports seem to place this  as early as 1898). The liability resulting from the sheer number of lawsuits and people affected has reached billions of dollars. The amounts and method of allocating compensation have been the source of many court cases, reaching up to the United States Supreme Court, and government attempts at resolution of existing and future cases. However, to date, the US Congress has not stepped in and there are no federal laws governing asbestos compensation.

Famous victims:

Mesothelioma, though rare, has had a number of notable patients.

•  Malcolm Mclaren, former manager of New York Dolls and Sex Pistols, died on 8 April 2010.

• Hamilton Jordan, Chief of Staff for U.S. President Jimmy Carter and lifelong cancer activist, died in 2008.

• Richard J. Herrnstein, psychologist and co-author of The Bell Curve, died in 1994.

• Australian anti-racism activist Bob Bellear  died in 2005.

• British science fiction writer Michael G. Coney, responsible for nearly 100 works, also died in 2005.

• American film and television actor Paul Gleason, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Principal Richard Vernon in the 1985 film The Breakfest Club, died in 2006.

•  Mickie Most, an English record producer, died of mesothelioma in 2003.

•  Paul Rudolph, American architect, died in 1997.

• Bernie Banton, an Australian workers' rights activist, fought a long battle for compensation from James Hardie after he contracted mesothelioma after working for that company. He claimed James Hardie knew of the dangers of asbestos before he began work with the substance making insulation for power stations. Mesothelioma eventually took his life along with his brothers and hundreds of James Hardie workers. James Hardie made an undisclosed settlement with Banton only when his mesothelioma had reached its final stages and he was expected to have no more than 48 hours to live. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd mentioned Banton's extended struggle in his acceptance speech after winning the 2007 Australian Federal election.

• Actor Steve McQueen was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothlioma on December 22, 1979. He was not offered surgery or chemotherapy because doctors felt the cancer was too advanced. McQueen subsequently sought alternative treatments at clinics in Mexico. He died of a heart attack on November 7, 1980, in Juárez, Mexico, following cancer surgery. He may have been exposed to asbestos while serving with the U.S. Marines as a young adult—asbestos was then commonly used to insulate ships' piping—or from its use as an insulating material in automobile racing suits (McQueen was an avid racing driver and fan).

• United States Congressman Bruce Vento died of mesothelioma in 2000. The Bruce Vento Hopebuilder award is given yearly by his wife at the  MARF Symposium to persons or organizations who have done the most to support mesothelioma research and advocacy.

• Rock and roll musician and songwriter Warren Zevon, after a long period of untreated illness and pain, was diagnosed with inoperable mesothelioma in the fall of 2002. Refusing treatments that he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon focused his energies on recording his final album The Wind, including the song "Keep Me in Your Heart," which speaks of his failing breath. Zevon died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on September 7, 2003.

• Christie Hennessy, the influential Irish singer-songwriter, died of mesothelioma in 2007, and had stridently refused to accept the prognosis in the weeks before his death. Hennessy's mesothelioma has been attributed to his younger years spent working on building sites in London. 

• Bob Miner, one of the founders of Software Development Labs, the forerunner of Oracle Corporation, died of mesothelioma in 1994.

• Scottish Labour MP John William MacDougall died of mesothelioma on August 13, 2008, after fighting the disease for two years.

• Australian journalist and news presenter Peter Leonard of Canberra succumbed to the condition on September 23, 2008.

•  Terrence McCann, Olympic gold medalist and longtime Executive Director of Toastmasters, died of mesothelioma on June 7, 2006, at his home in Dana Point, California.

•  Merlin Olsen, Pro Football Hall of Famer and television actor, died on March 10, 2010, from mesothelioma that had been diagnosed in 2009.