This is another malignant condition and the most serious of asbestos related diseases. It is cancer of the lining of the lung (pleura) and a terminal condition. The only known cause of this cancer is asbestos.

There is at present no known cure and a patient will usually have a life expectancy of approximately 18 months from presenting with symptoms which are usually chest pain and shortness of breath. The worrying reality is that very little exposure to asbestos can cause this disease. There is therefore no safe level of asbestos exposure. However, the risk that mesothelioma will occur increases in approximate proportion to the amount of asbestos inhaled.

Deaths caused by malignant mesothelioma are increasing year on year and is predicted that the figure will peak in 2020 with approximately 3,000 deaths in the UK. Cases of mesothelioma are on the increase due to the long latency period (the time the condition takes to develop) from exposure which can range from 20-50 years.

Although there is no cure, there is treatment available which can help promote longevity and relieve symptoms (see below).

Treatment of Mesothelioma

Although not a cure, radical and aggressive local control by way of surgery combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy (multimodality therapy) can be used to help increase life expectancy and relieve symptoms.

Radical EPP surgery or “extrapleuropneumonectomy” typically involves removal of the pleura, mediastinal lymph nodes, ipsilateral pericardium and diaphragm.