The Maune Raichle Law Firm

Mesothelioma Definition

The definition of mesothelioma helps to differentiate cases of lung cancer which migrate into the mesothelium from true cases of mesothelioma. It is a definition which has become increasingly important in legal cases as cancers such as adenocarcinoma, which often migrate into the mesothelium, have many cases aside from asbestos exposure. Defined as a cancer which originates in the mesothelium and most commonly presented in the form of tumors which develop between the 2 layers of mesothelium, true mesothelioma is further defined within medicine by its specific protein marker composition and shape.

Although treatment of mesothelioma is often very similar to that of other cancers, defining a cancer as mesothelioma has become increasingly important in legal cases as defendants continue to argue that lung cancers can be caused by a multitude of other factors. A case of mesothelioma cannot be blamed on smoking as smoking does not in any way increase the risk of mesothelioma. The development of protein marker testing and microscopic analysis of cancer cells has become routine following the diagnosis of mesothelioma to confirm the diagnosis.

The misdiagnosis of mesothelioma as other related cancers continues to exist despite the increase in knowledge relating to this relatively rare form of cancer. The knowledge that a patient had exposure to asbestos previously usually aids doctors in diagnosing cancers found within the chest and in and around the abdominal and heart sac mesothelium as mesothelioma. However, a cancer being found within the mesothelium does not make a cancer mesothelioma, which also makes defining a cancer as mesothelioma important for continuing legal cases.