Not every person who is exposed to asbestos gets mesothelioma but you should know that almost all the patients diagnosed with this disease have actually made contact with asbestos. Also, the exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma.

The symptoms of mesothelioma might not appear until 20 to 50 years after the exposure to asbestos. The most common signs of the disease are chest pain, shortness of breath and cough.

Chemotherapy is usually the primary treatment for patients diagnosed with pulmonary cancer or mesothelioma and it is also recommended after a surgical intervention in order to remove the remaining cancerous cells.

Mesothelioma is a rare type of lung cancer, which affects the thin layer of tissue that covers the internal organs. The disease usually alters the lining of the lungs and chest wall. The most common symptoms of mesothelioma are fatigue, swollen abdomen, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough and weight loss.

Doctors use the staging of the disease in order to determine the most efficient treatment. Stage 1 cancer can be treated surgically while for a more advanced mesothelioma (stage 2, 3 or 4) a surgical intervention might not be an option anymore.