The Maune Raichle Law Firm

Mesothelioma Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma is often incorrectly described as lung cancer. Mesothelioma is not a lung cancer regardless of whether it infiltrates the lungs or not. Mesothelioma is cancer which originates in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the layer of tissue that separates the peritoneal cavity, pleural cavity, and heart sac as well secretes the fluid that allows for the movement of organs within the body. Even though mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer and can often spread to the lungs, mesothelioma continues to be considered mesothelioma regardless of location in the body since it has its one identifiable structure and can be differentiated from lung cancer through the analysis of protein markers.

Because of the many similar symptoms and the fact that they often appear similar on X-rays and CAT scans, mesothelioma has been misdiagnosed as a much more common lung cancer which has the ability to spread to the mesothelium; hence it is called mesothelioma lung cancer. However, under high magnification, using special staining, the difference between lung cancers and mesothelioma can be seen. It is often important to differentiate between lung disease and mesothelioma because mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure 90% of the time and a diagnosis of lung cancer could mean that any number of factors played a role in the development of the cancer. New treatments for mesothelioma are now being developed which utilize a chemotherapy regimen that is different from those that would be used to treat lung cancer.

Also confused by the similarities in the structure of some types of lung cancer and mesothelioma is the fact that mesothelioma does not exclusively occur in the lung mesothelium. About 30 percent of all cases of mesothelioma occur in the peritoneal mesothelium. Pleural mesothelioma even shares symptoms with lung cancer. The most common symptoms of both are, labored breathing, painful breathing, shortness of breath, and decreased dissolved oxygen percentages.