Pleural Mesothelioma is one type of cancer that affects the pleura, which is the membrane lining the lungs. Prolonged exposure to asbestos causes pleural mesothelioma, as it also does peritoneal mesothelioma which affects the heart. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma often do not surface until the cancer is very advanced. Hence the importance of undergoing a screening if exposed to asbestos for a long period of time. This cancer type is not exactly malignant mesothelioma. It is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many an internal organ in the body, called the mesothelium.
Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking, but smoking does indeed up the risk of asbestos-induced cancers. Symptoms include shortness of breath, pleural effusion (leaking of the fluid between the lung and the chest wall), and general symptoms such as weight loss. Even though treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery exist, pleural mesothelioma has a poor prognosis.
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