Mesothelioma Common Questions

What is Mesothelioma? What is the difference between pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma?

Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which a cancerous tumor grows on the mesothelium - the sac lining the internal body cavities. The specific type of mesothelioma is named for the tissue where the cancer started. Pleural mesothelioma starts in the chest, in the pleura that surrounds the lungs (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall). It makes up about 70% of mesothelioma cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma starts in the lining of the abdominal cavity.

Although sometimes referred to as "asbestos lung cancer", mesothelioma is not the same as lung cancer. Lung cancers occur inside the lung itself; mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the lung. Mesothelioma is rare, striking fewer than 3000 Americans per year.

How do you get malignant mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos, once regarded as a miracle mineral, was popular due its lightweight but tough characteristics as well as for its heat-resistant properties. This naturally occurring mineral was used in many commercial and consumer products, from construction materials such as cement, roofing shingles and insulation, to consumer and industrial applications such as hair dryers, automobile brake pads and pipe insulation.

Most people with malignant mesothelioma worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Others were exposed to asbestos in a household environment, often without knowing it.

How much exposure does it take to get the disease? What is the latency period?
Very little exposure can result in mesothelioma. Sometimes people who worked with asbestos for as little as one or two months get mesothelioma. The "latency period" refers to the time between asbestos exposure and diagnosis of the disease. For mesothelioma, the latency period can be decades long, and people exposed in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s are now being diagnosed.

What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
Our mesothelioma symptoms page goes into detail about the signs of this cancer. Please note that it is important to seek professional medical advice when trying to diagnose for mesothelioma. The major symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath caused by expanding pleural effusion
• Persistent dry cough

Other symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• Night sweats
• Fever
• Pain under the rib cage
• Swelling or lumps in the abdomen
• Unexpected weight loss

How do doctors treat malignant mesothelioma?
Each patient has an individualized treatment plan which takes into account the type and stage of the cancer as well as the patient's overall health. Traditional mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of these. Contact us at 1-877-367-6376 if you want to talk about reviewing treatment options.

Is there any promising research or are there promising new drugs for mesothelioma?
Scientists and doctors are engaged in research at various cancer centers all over the United States. Researchers are constantly trying to develop new and more effective drugs as well as new treatment techniques. In the past few years, there have been several major advances in the management of mesothelioma, including more accurate staging, improvements in surgical techniques and postoperative care, new chemotherapy regimens, and new radiotherapy techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Some of this research is being conducted through clinical trials, for which you may be eligible. Please call us if you need additional information on current trials.

What should I do if I think I've been exposed to asbestos but don't have mesothelioma?
You probably will not get this rare disease, but you should remain vigilant and get regular check-ups. Let your doctor know about your asbestos exposure.

I was exposed to asbestos when I was in the military. Could that be how I got mesothelioma?
The armed forces used asbestos extensively in the 20th Century, and because of the long latency period only now are many veterans getting mesothelioma. People were exposed in all branches of the service, in a variety of jobs. We have worked with veterans from all over the country. We can help you find VA resources and medical assistance. Our veterans section goes into more detail or feel free to call us at 1-877-367-6376.

Where can I find information on living with mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma Aid is a good website for resource for families dealing with mesothelioma. It includes advice and referrals to other resources for coping with cancer, caregiving, financial challenges, and support groups. Alternatively, contact us here at Mesothelioma Web for help finding resources for living with this disease.

What other resources are available for people with malignant mesothelioma?
Should you need more information or have additional questions, please contact us and we can refer you to sources that could answer your specific question. We can be reached at 1-877-367-6376.

US Court of Appeals Rules on Minnesota Asbestos Standards

The Eighth Court of Appeals has issued a ruling on a case regarding the North Shore Mining Company and the standards for asbestos exposure levels in the state of Minnesota. The case centers on a measure known as the "control city standard". This standard calls for atmospheric fiber levels at the North Shore Mining facility in the town of Silver Bay to be no higher than those measured in "control city". St. Paul, the state capital, is the control city against which such measurements are taken in Minnesota.

The court's ruling dictates that, while the control city standard will still apply for any permit requirements for the facility, it will not be part of any injunction issued by the federal government. In short, the court ruled that state pollution standards are an issue for the states, not for federal authorities, while keeping the current standard intact.

The state agency responsible for environmental issues has called for testing the air quality around the state's taconite mines before issuing permits. The state also wants firms to use the best technology available for testing and potential remediation on such sites to keep the measures of airborne asbestos at or below the control city level. The control city standard came about due to a federal ruling made in 1974. Recently, that ruling has been dismissed, which prompted attorneys for North Shore to move that the control city standard be disregarded as a criterion for permits.

No definitive statements have been made to see if North Shore has either the legal grounds or the inclination to plead their case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Officials with both North Shore and their parent firm have stated on numerous occasions that the fibers freed from the raw ore in the process of making the taconite pellets are not related to asbestos and do not pose a menace to the health of the surrounding population.

Fibers similar to asbestos have been detected in the air around the north shore of Lake Superior for several decades. Another federal court ruling prohibited the company, then known as Reserve Mining, from dumping waste rock into the lake. Previous studies had shown that a high concentration of taconite fibers in water could lead to health problems. In response, the firm began dumping its waste rock into landfills.

An investigation into cancer diagnoses in the area has uncovered a remarkably high incidence rate of lung cancer, mesothelioma and other lung disorders in that portion of the state. Researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine are conducting a study on miners in the Iron Range area to determine why a high percentage of workers in the area's taconite plants have developed these diseases.

Chuck Laszewski, a spokesman for the environmental group Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, stated that he favored the court's ruling. Although he was disappointed that the grounds for the federal standard were dismissed, Mr. Laszweski was pleased that the effect of keeping the control city standard was still in place, even if the implementation was to be at the state level.

Sources: Duluth News Tribune, WDIO

Residents Must Vacate North Dakota Apartment Building Due to Asbestos

Officials in Ward County, North Dakota have ordered that residents of the Emerson Apartment complex, in the town of Minot, vacate the property by the 15th of October and not allow for future tenants. The county now owns the building, which sits near the county courthouse, and is examining its options on how to deal with the site. Last week, members of the County Commission deliberated over the future of the building, which is contaminated with asbestos. After the residents have vacated the building, the commission will decide if the asbestos needs to be removed before or after the building's demolition, or if it would be feasible to remodel the building and remove the asbestos during the process.

According to Mr. Dana Larsen, a highway engineer for Ward County, a complete run of tests still needs to be conducted to determine the level and extent of asbestos use in the building's original construction materials. He said that the pipes in the building would need to be tested to ascertain the amount of asbestos insulation used and how the dangerous material was distributed throughout the structure. Mr. Larsen estimates that the asbestos remediation and cleanup would run from $125,000 to $150,000.

The commission agreed to allow Mr. Larsen to pursue grants that would alleviate some of the costs of asbestos removal at the site. However, they have not yet agreed as to what should become of the building and the site. County Commissioner John Fjeldahl moved that the building should be put up for sale, but no other members of the commission seconded the motion. Commissioner Jerome Gruenberg has stated that the county should attempt to remove all of the asbestos from the site before putting the building on the market. Commissioner Jack Nybakken proposed that the building stay open due to the city's current housing crunch. While the previous meeting resulted in a four-to-one vote in favor of demolition, the county has yet to set plans in motion for the building to come down.

Commission Chairman Bruce Christiansen mentioned that the building presents a serious environmental and fire hazard. He also expressed his fears about how the building had become a serious problem for the neighborhood and that the decisions regarding its fate would carry "great ramifications and consequences".

Bruce Walker, a representative with the property management firm First Minot Management, remarked to the commission that the city is suffering from a housing shortage and that availability for housing is at the lowest level in a quarter-century. He also told commissioners that the site does not require demolition and needs to be kept available for tenants who may not have anywhere else to go. According to Mr. Walker, the building is "safe now" and that the asbestos contamination is "not an issue". His firm has offered to keep the property open for renters for the next two years while the council decides on whether to sell the building to another party, keep it and remove the asbestos, or carry out their previous vote for demolition.

Sources: KFYR-TV, Minot Daily News, KXMB

New Castle, Del. Church School Tagged for Improper Asbestos Removal

Century-old St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church has been charged for violating seven statutes instituted by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, or DNREC, regarding asbestos removal.

During the summer of 2009, asbestos was removed from St. Peter's parochial elementary school by volunteers rather than by a DNREC-mandated certified asbestos remediation and removal contractor.

The charges, all relating to unlawful removal of asbestos by uncertified workers, and disposal of hazardous solid waste in a manner not approved by DNREC, date to August 25.

The elementary school, located at 521 Harmony St., was built in 1960 to serve students from kindergarten through Grade 8 and currently offers a full curriculum, as well as a modern library, food service program, an extended care program for latchkey kids, and a gymnasium built in the 1950s. Current enrollment is 240, with about 25 students at each grade level. St. Peter's also supports a middle school for Grades 6 through 8, but a former high school was closed in 1970.

The illegal asbestos removal occurred on or about August 17, in the school's cafeteria and gymnasium, according to DNREC head of Environmental Crimes Unit William P. McDaniel. The complaint about the illegal asbestos removal wasn't received until about August 24, however. The complaint presumably from one of the staff arriving early in preparation for the 2009-2010 school year, and a DNREC inspection occurred the next day.

DNREC lodged seven individual charges against the church in a local Justice of the Peace Court. They are: three counts of asbestos removal by an uncertified worker; one count of non-DNREC-approved hazardous waste disposal; one count of failing to seal off a work area to prevent asbestos fibers from become airborne and dispersed; one count of leaving a visible residue of asbestos at the end of the removal; and one count of failing to maintain asbestos disposal records.

Asbestos isn't dangerous if undisturbed. Once removed and broken, however, as was the case with cafeteria and gymnasium floor tiles, the fibers can be ingested or inhaled and lead to such illnesses as asbestosis, lung and digestive system cancers, and mesothelioma.

Asbestosis, a respiratory ailment, is usually the result of long-term asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma, on the other hand, can be contracted during a single asbestos exposure, and - after lying dormant for decades - become so pervasive that most patients diagnosed with this form of cancer are seldom given more than a year or 18 months to live. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (or CDC), the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (or OSHA), and the American Cancer Society all agree that there is no safe, minimum asbestos exposure level; an hour or a lifetime can trigger mesothelioma.

Under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulations, adapted by various state environmental agencies, all schools in the United States - whether public, private or parochial - are required to create, maintain and disseminate an asbestos reporting, monitoring and mitigation plan, via a designated liaison, which insures that initial and timely asbestos inspections (and mitigations) are performed by a licensed individual or firm; that parents and staff are notified of both the plan (on a regular basis) and of asbestos "events"; and that maintenance personnel are trained in asbestos recognition and safe handling.

Apparently, the impetuous volunteers who undertook to remove the tiles were either not aware of said plan, or did not understand the ramifications. Parents who learned of the removal after the fact were reportedly quite upset that the job was allowed to take place without notification - in fact, without church official's knowledge. In fact, one parent, a supervisor for a union-approved asbestos remediation crew, said he was appalled at the lack of communication that allowed such a thing to happen, and at how poorly the removal was handled.

Nothing has been said about air quality tests to determine if asbestos contamination has occurred, but DNREC regulations will likely mandate them.

Sources: DelawareOnline.com. St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church website, Delaware Dept of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

May Whitney Elementary in Lake Zurich Suffers Ongoing Asbestos Concerns

In August of 2007, storms and flooding in Lake Zurich, Illinois led to the closure of May Whitney Elementary School at 120 North Church St. after crews found evidence of post-storm asbestos and mold contaminating the building.

After considering the costs and the health threat represented by the contamination, Whitney school officials decided not merely to delay the start of school, but to move the 440 Whitney students next door for the entire school year.

This building, at 100 Church Street, is connected to Whitney school by a hallway. Constructed in 1929 as Lake Zurich High School and later repurposed as Middle School North, the building is fully as old and in need of repair as Whitney. Used for storage before Whitney students moved in, it allowed lengthy renovations to Whitney itself, but presented some of the same risks as post-flood Whitney.

Whitney has since reportedly been rendered safe, but tests conducted over the summer of 2008 showed the persistent presence of asbestos and lead, and skeptical parents - remembering the mold horror of a year earlier, when many of the students reported diffuse illnesses - remain uncertain if the building is truly safe for their children.

Arguments by Wheaton-based AR Remediation Corporation's spokeswoman, Kathleen Wahl, that the presence of a compound does not indicate a hazard, have failed to reassure, as have remarks by Community Unit School District 95 architectural consultant Fred Schuster, who insists that the building is in good, safe and sound condition, though Schuster has acknowledged the continuing presence of asbestos in mechanical rooms, floor tiles and some bricks.

A reported leak on August 28 of this year, between the repaired section of the roof and the old roof, was also said to pose no apparent threat, either in terms of asbestos or lead, and the problem was finally addressed on August 31 when it stopped raining.

But it is the presence of these persistent leaks - seven documented in the 2008-09 school year alone - that have parents concerned as they consider the effect of such leaks in areas that are inaccessible to asbestos inspection; that is, where district officials consider asbestos to be in effect "out of harm's way" even if damaged by water.

There are 22 such areas, according to the most recent inspection, most of them above ceilings or behind walls. According to District 95 Director of Facilities Richard Marzec, the potential for the aforementioned leaks to release asbestos into the air is "extremely small".

Though most experts agree asbestos isn't dangerous unless tampered with, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The U.S. Dept. of Labor's Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), and the American Cancer Society all agree that there is no minimum safe level of asbestos exposure; a single incident or a lifetime can lead to mesothelioma, a particularly lethal form of cancer.

The twice-yearly inspections at Whitney are part of a plan mandated by the Illinois Department of Health; said plan based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) guidelines. These guidelines direct all U.S. schools to prepare a report of asbestos locations within the school; disseminate the report - and all planned or active asbestos remediation activities - to parents, teachers and school staff on a regular basis; hire licensed, qualified asbestos remediation experts to prepare plans, perform inspections and undertake remedial actions; and instruct maintenance staff on the recognition of, and appropriate handling of, asbestos.

While parents worry at the start of another Whitney Elementary School year, District 95 officials face the prospect of about $45 million in needed upgrades, a budget crisis made worse by falling property tax revenues in the wake of the housing bubble and widespread foreclosures, and a recession that is predicted to linger well into 2010.

As one district official has pointed out, the process of making district schools safe for students is a case of "Band-Aid fixes" rather than major repairs. The statement, though an accurate assessment of the district's budget capabilities, is nonetheless far from reassuring to parents who watch their young children go off to school in a nearly century-old building known to contain asbestos.

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Getting checked out and treated for asbestos diseases

Asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis can lie dormant for decades before symptoms start to show. Doctors who suspect mesothelioma will ask about your exposure to asbestos, and most people find this difficult to remember, especially if it happened decades ago. Check out our list of Naval Vessels for places where you might have been exposed, as well as our list of shipyards and asbestos-containing materials used by the military. If you worked with any of these materials or in any of these locations, be sure to tell your doctor during examinations. Early Detection is the best defense against asbestos diseases.

If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, our site has extensive information on treatment. Contact us if you need help finding a doctor or medical center that can handle this form of cancer.

The VHA has designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers throughout the country. These are large hospitals with experienced oncologists and nursing staffs. The VA also has established, at a community level, outpatient clinics that provide medical care for eligible veterans. Click here for a list of outpatient clinics by state.

MESOTHELIOMA GLOSSARY

• Abdominal mesothelioma
  Another name for peritoneal mesothelioma. Cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity.
• Acute pain
  Pain that comes on quickly and may be severe, but lasts a relatively short period of time.
• Adenocarcinoma
  cancer that forms in the cells of glands or in parts of the body that produce mucous. Also called "nonsmall cell lung cancer". Tumors include cube or column-shaped cells found along the outer edges of the lungs and under the membrane lining of the bronchi.
• Adjuvant therapy
  Chemotherapy drugs (including hormones) given after surgery or radiation or both to help prevent the cancer from coming back.
• Alopecia
  Autoimmune disease occurring on areas of the body (most commonly the scalp) where a person’s immune system attacks hair follicles suppressing and arresting hair growth.
• Alveoli
  Tiny structures inside the lungs responsible for pulmonary gas exchange. Asbestos fibers become lodged in these structures which may lead to scarring.
• Anemia
  Having too few red blood cells. Common side effect of chemotherapy. Symptoms of anemia include feeling tired, weak, and short of breath.
• Angiogenesis
  The formation of new blood vessels. Angiogenesis is essential for the growth of tumors. Tumor cells release chemicals to encourage blood vessel growth.
• Angiogenesis Inhibitor
  A chemical which signals the process of angiogenesis to stop and thereby prevents the formation of blood vessels. In anticancer therapy, an angiogenesis inhibitor prevents the growth of blood vessels from surrounding tissue to a solid tumor.
• Antiangiogenesis
  Prevention of the growth of new blood vessels. Drug designers use this strategy to try to slow tumor growth.
• Asbestos
  A mineral fiber. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer.
• Ascites
  An accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity symptomatic of mesothelioma and also found in patients with cirrhosis. More on ascites.
• Biologic therapy
  Treatment that stimulates the body's immune defense system to fight infection and disease. Also called immunotherapy. Some doctors consider this a type of chemotherapy, but it is usually classified as a separate type of treatment.
• Brachytherapy
  One of the earliest forms of cancer treatment, brachytherapy involves the insertion of small tube-like seeds that contain a dose of radiation into or directly next to a tumor. This has largely been replaced by external radiation therapy but is still a common treatment for prostate cancer.
• Breakthrough pain
  Pain that occurs in patients with chronic pain that is controlled by medications. The pain "breaks through" the normal control.
• Carcinogen
  A substance that is known to cause cancer. Asbestos can be considered a carcinogen because it can cause mesothelioma. More about carcinogens.
• Carcinomatosis
  This term generally refers to cancer metastasis (spread) to numerous regions of the body where it can attack a wide variety of organs, as well as soft, connective or bone tissues (for example) simultaneously.
• CAT scan
  Computerized tomography - a diagnostic medical test that uses X-Rays to create a 3-dimensional image of part of the body. Also called CT scans.

More on medical imaging.

• Chemotherapy
  The use of anticancer drugs, generally administered through an IV, to treat cancer.
• Chronic pain
  Pain that may range from mild to severe and persists or progresses over a long period of time.
• Clinical Trials
  Medical studies designed to compare a well-known, or standard, treatment with a new or alternative treatment. Clinical trials are usually done in three phases. Phase I tests the safety of the treatment on a small number of patients. Phase II assesses the effectiveness of the treatment and usually involves a larger group of people. Phase III provides in-depth information about the effectiveness and safety, by comparing experimental treatment with the standard protocol. Phase III trials usually involve several thousand patients nationwide.
• Combination Chemotherapy
  The use of more than one drug to treat cancer.
• Decortication
  A surgical procedure involving the removal of the membrane or outer cover of an organ. The procedure is commonly performed on mesothelioma patients if the lung is constricted and cannot be totally inflated.
• Diagnostic
  The use of skilled and scientific methods to establish the cause and nature of a disease.
• Double-Blind
  Clinical trial in which participants do not know what treatment they are receiving. The doctors and nurses treating them don't know either. Researchers keep this information secret until each patient's health status is known, usually after at least a year or more of treatments.
• Dyspnea
  Shortness of breath; difficulty breathing..
• Epidemiology
  The study of a disease that is widespread and rapidly spreading.
• Epithelial Cells
  One of the 4 main bodily tissues, they often compose the linings of organs and membranes as well as the skin. These cells line the insides of the lungs.
• Etiology
  The science and study of the causes, origins and reasons of diseases and their mode of operation.
• Gene Therapy
  A technique for modifying genes responsible for disease development. Still largely experimental.
• Immunotherapy
  A treatment which activates the bodies own immune system to destroy disease. Treatment of disease by stimulating the body s own immune system. This is a type of therapy currently being researched as a treatment for cancer.
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
  High-precision radiation therapy technique uses computer-controlled x-ray beams so that the radiation delivery conforms to the shape of the tumor. It does this by modulating-or controlling-the intensity of the radiation beam to focus a higher radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing radiation to surrounding healthy tissues.
• Laparoscope
  A small telescoping rod inserted into the body during laparoscopy. It often contains an illuminating device and a camera to transmit images to the operating physician. It can also have a small component capable of removing tissue for sampling.
• Laparoscopy
  A minimally invasive surgical procedure where small incisions are made in the abdominal area and a laparoscope is inserted into the body. Often used for biopsies it can also be used for minor surgeries.
• Macrophages
  Cells that digest pathogens and cellular debris. When trying to digest inhaled asbestos fibers in the lungs, they often split open and their internal fluids then damage the alveoli. The damage is then multiplied as more macrophages try to digest the particle and eventually fibrosis may develop.
• Markers
  Physiological indications of the presence of cancer. Mesothelioma is often diagnosed with the immunohistochemical markers.
• Mediastinoscopy
  A surgical procedure to examine the inside of the upper chest between and in front of the lungs (also known as the mediastinum). During a mediastinoscopy, a thin scope (mediastinoscope) is inserted through a small incision. A tissue sample (biopsy) can be collected through the mediastinoscope and then examined.
• Mesothelin
  A glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked glycoprotein. A cell surface antigen. The biological function is not known, but the protein is expressed in large quantities in mesothelial cells, and in mesotheliomas and other cancers.
• Mesothelioma
  A form of cancer where the primary tumor is on the mesothelium - the internal lining of body cavities. Mesothelioma is a carcinoma. It is called pleural mesothelioma when the pleural cavity is affected and peritoneal mesothelioma when the tumor is in the abdominal cavity. Most mesothelioma cases can be traced to inhalation of asbestos fibers.
• Mesothelium
  Membrane that lines the pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium and produces lubricating fluids to allow the heart and lungs to glide against neighboring structures
• Metastasis/Metastasized
  The spread of cancer cells to distant areas of the body through the lymph system or bloodstream.
• MRI
  magnetic resonance imaging - a diagnostic medical test that uses magnetic fields to create a 3-dimensional image of part of the body.
• Multimodality therapy
  Click here for explanation
• Oncogenesis
  The development of cellular changes leading to the development of a malignant tumor
• Opioids
  Powerful prescription medications that are administered to relieve severe pain. Common opioids are endorphin, fentanyl and methadone.
• Palliative
  Treatment that is not expected to cure, but rather to slow down the progress of a disease and make the person comfortable and as happy as possible throughout the process.

More.

• Paracentesis
  Medical procedure that uses a needle remove/drain fluid accumulated in the abdominal cavity (peritoneal fluid). These fluid deposits are also called ascites.

Used in the diagnosis of mesothelioma. More.

• Parenchyma
  The functional parts of an organ. For instance alveoli are part of the parenchyma of the lung.
• Pericardium
  A protective layer of tissue enveloping the heart and the origins of many important blood vessels. The fibrous layer of the pericardium anchors the heart to surrounding tissue and prevents it from overfilling with blood. The serous layer prevents friction as the heart pumps.
• Peritoneal mesothelioma
  Cancer of the peritoneum, which is the inside lining of the lower part of the chest.
• Peritoneum
  Lining of the abdominal organs and cavity.
• Permissible Exposure Limit
  A parameter used in assessment of workplace hazards. Click here for an explanation of PELs.
• Phagocytosis
  Process wherein a cell surrounds large particles and envelops them through the cell membrane. (See Macrophages)
• Photodynamic therapy
  New cancer therapy. Patients are injected with a photosensitized chemical designed to be absorbed by the cancerous cells, not the healthy cells. The area is then irradiated with light that activates the chemical and causes the cancerous cells to die.
• Pleura
  The thin covering that protects and cushions the lungs and chest cavity. The pleura is made up of two membrane (layers of tissue) that are separated by a small amount of fluid.
• Pleural Effusions
  Collection of fluid in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall.
• Pleural fluid
  A serous fluid found within the pleural cavity between the parietal and visceral pleura
• Pleural mesothelioma
  Cancer of the mesothelium lining around the lungs. The most common type of mesothelioma.
• Positron Emission Tomography
  PET, or Positron Emission Tomography, is a procedure that produces powerful images of the body's biological functions and is being used more and more frequently in the treatment and monitoring of malignant diseases. Unlike conventional imaging, PET does not show the body's anatomy, rather it shows the chemical function or metabolism of an organ or tissue.
• Pneumonitis
  This is a broad term that refers to variant forms of lung tissue inflammation, which can be caused by infections such as pneumonia (one form of pneumonitis). Pneumonitis can also result from allergic reactions to inhaled particulates in the air, as well as from radiation therapies delivered to the upper thoracic (chest) region of the body.
• Prognosis
  A doctor’s opinion on the progression of a patient’s condition and chances for improvement/recovery.
• Proto oncogenes Genes that code for cell growth regulation and differentiation. They can lead to malignant tumors if they are mutated or over expressed.
• Radiation therapy
  The use of high-energy rays or subatomic particles to treat disease. Types of radiation include x-ray, electron beam, alpha and beta particle, and gamma ray.
• Stroma
  The non-functioning supportive framework of an organ. The mesothelium which lines the pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium can be considered stroma.
• Thoracentesis
  Removal of fluid from the pleural cavity in the chest by inserting a needle into the chest. Used in diagnosis of mesothelioma.
• Thrombocytopenia
  Thrombocytopenia is a reduced platelet (thrombocyte) count. It occurs when platelets are lost faster than they can be replaced. It can be caused by a failure in platelet production or a severe injury.

More.

• Tomotherapy
  A form of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy that integrates a CT Scan in the treatment to better target tumors and reduce radiation to healthy tissue. The scan allows greater precision for the radiation treatment by pinpointing tumor mass. Tomotherpy.
• Tumor Suppressor Gene
  A gene that when activated can halt a cell’s cycle or encourage apoptosis reducing the probability that a damaged cell will evolve into a tumor cell.
• Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery
  A technique used to diagnose and treat problems in the chest, which has found increasing use in mesothelioma diagnosis in recent years. The doctors inserts a fiber-optic camera (called a thorascope) into the chest.