MayoClinicDiagnosisIfyouhavesignsandsymptomsthatmightindicatemesothelioma,yourdoctorwillconductaphysicalexamtocheckforanylumpsorotherunusualsigns.Yourdoctormayorderimagingscans,suchasachestX-rayandacomputerizedtomography(CT)scanofyourchestorabdomen,tolookforabnormalities.

KeyPointsMalignantmesotheliomaisadiseaseinwhichmalignant(cancer)cellsformintheliningofthechestorabdomen.Beingexposedtoasbestoscanaffecttheriskofmalignantmesothelioma.Signsandsymptomsofmalignantmesotheliomaincludeshortnessofbreathandpainundertheribcage.

Mesotheliomatreatmentsareavailable,butformanypeoplewithmesothelioma,acureisn'tpossible.Doctorsdividemesotheliomaintodifferenttypesbasedonwhatpartofthemesotheliumisaffected.Mesotheliomamostoftenaffectsthetissuethatsurroundsthelungs(pleura).Thistypeiscalledpleuralmesothelioma.

CommontreatmentapproachesMesotheliomacanbehardtotreatbecauseittypicallydoesnotgrowasasingletumormass.Ittendstospreadalongnearbysurfaces,nerves,andbloodvessels.Thisoftenmakesitveryhardtogetridofthecancercompletelywithsurgeryand/orradiation.

OverviewCausedbyexposuretochemicalslikeasbestos,mesotheliomaaffectsthetissuethatcoversyourorgans.Whatismesothelioma?Mesotheliomareferstotumorsthatdevelopinthemesothelium,atypeoftissuethatmakesuptheliningofcavitiesorhollowsthatprotectandsurroundcertainorgans.Thistissueforms:

Treatmentdependsonwherethemesotheliomaislocatedandwhetherithasspreadtootherpartsofthebody.Treatmentmayincludesurgery,chemotherapy,radiationtherapy,immunotherapy,ortargetedtherapy.

Today,theU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationapprovedOpdivo(nivolumab)incombinationwithYervoy(ipilimumab)forthefirst-linetreatmentofadultswithmalignantpleuralmesotheliomathat...