The most common kind of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. It is a rare malignancy that builds up in the mesothelial cells that compose the mesothelium, which is a membrane that connects a number of internal organs. In patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, the growth of the tumor happens in the lining of the lungs, known as pleura or pleural membrane.
The pleura consists of two layers which support and safeguard the lungs and chest cavity that include the outer layer (parietal layer) that connects the whole chest cavity and the diaphragm, and the inner layer (visceral layer), which spans over the lungs. The disease normally develops in one of the aforementioned layers, but can spread to the other layer. Akin to other mesothelioma malignancy, pleural mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure.
Symptoms
When asbestos fibers get trapped inside the body and trigger the initiation of the cancer process, we typically see in a first phase a thickening of the pleural membrane layers (pleural thickening) that is specifically caused by the accumulation of fluids. Eventually, the amount of fluid that build over up over the cource of time will impair the respiratory system which results in complications to breathe normally.
Listed below are some of the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma:
