Mesothelioma + Asbestos Disease Types
Mesothelioma has multiple forms (pleural, peritoneal, pericardial) and three primary cell types (epithelioid, sarcomatoid, biphasic). Asbestos also causes lung cancer + asbestosis. Find your diagnosis below.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma, accounting for approximately 75-80% of all diagnoses. It develops in the pleura — the thin lining surrounding the lungs and chest cavity...
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the peritoneum — the lining of the abdominal cavity. It accounts for approximately 10-20% of mesothelioma diagnoses. Symptoms include abdominal pain, swelling, we...
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma is an extremely rare form (approximately 1% of mesothelioma diagnoses) affecting the pericardium — the membrane surrounding the heart. Symptoms include chest pain, irregular...
Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the most aggressive of the three primary mesothelioma cell types, accounting for approximately 10-20% of cases. Sarcomatoid cells are spindle-shaped and resemble sarcoma ce...
Epithelioid Mesothelioma
Epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common cell type, accounting for 60-70% of all mesothelioma diagnoses. Epithelioid cells are uniform cube-shaped or columnar cells that closely resemble normal epi...
Biphasic Mesothelioma
Biphasic mesothelioma (also called mixed-cell or mixed type) contains both epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells in the same tumor. It accounts for approximately 20-30% of mesothelioma diagnoses. Prognosi...
Asbestos-Caused Lung Cancer
Asbestos exposure causes lung cancer in addition to mesothelioma — and asbestos-caused lung cancer accounts for far more deaths annually than mesothelioma (estimated 4,800 vs 2,400 in the US). Howev...
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a chronic, non-cancerous lung disease caused by inhaled asbestos fibers triggering progressive scarring (fibrosis) of lung tissue. Symptoms include chronic cough, shortness of breath, ch...