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.

The only known cause of this disease is the exposure to asbestos as more than 80% of the patients who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have made contact with this set of fibrous minerals. Patients are usually diagnosed based on an X-ray test and a CT scan but it is only confirmed after examining a sample of the cancerous cells or the fluid that cancer produces.