Pleural mesothelioma is a disease that affects the lining of the lungs and these linings are called lung pleura. This disease has been mistaken for lung cancer but, the two have no association because this disease affects the serous membrane. The serous membrane is found on several organs near the chest and abdomen and the most common place the disease affects is the lungs. In most cases, the disease is malignant and this means that it is a form of cancer. Like many other mesothelioma cases, it is caused by the exposure to asbestos. The most common way you can get the pleural mesothelioma is through inhalation. You can take in the asbestos fibers with the air and the body is not able to expel them out of your system and therefore, over a long period of time even up to 30 years, they cause the lining cells to change their form because of scarring and the disease forms.

The major symptom of pleural mesothelioma is heavy breathing because of the fluid which has built up and accumulated putting pressure on the lungs. Other symptoms that will contribute to the build up of the fluid are coughing persistently. You will sometimes cough blood, swallowing will become a major task for you, you will experience shortness of breath even when at a resting position, fatigue, weight loss, pain in the chest area and lumps which will be under the skin in your chest. When you start to see some of this symptoms, it is advisable to seek medical help because you might have a fair chance of recovery. Delaying usually worsens any case. If you suspect to have been exposed to asbestos, it will also be helpful to get checked out for the evidence of the disease and you stand a better chance of getting rid of possibilities of future development.

It is very difficult to test for pleural mesothelioma because the symptoms are so similar to other disease like pneumonia and influenza. The latency period or the time that it takes to develop is usually very long and the disease may have occurred without any symptoms. Apart from observing the symptoms, some tests will have to be undertaken to know exactly where the disease is and whether it has spread. The tests will also seek to find out what type of cancer it is. The test will include x rays, biopsies and others. There are several treatment options for pleural mesothelioma and other treatments have not yet been approved. The known treatments which can provide a cure are surgery. The tumor is surgically removed and other treatments are administered to prevent a re-occurrence.

Chemotherapy is a term that refers to the drugs used to treat cancer. These drugs are designed to target and kill the cells that are dividing but, it is not specific on the cancer cells so, healthy and good cells are also destroyed and this is the reason patients loose hair and become weak. The hair cells and immunity cells are being destroyed along with the cancerous cells. Therefore the side effects for this treatment are hair loss, nausea and lack of appetite. You will also be prone to infections because of a low immunity.

Pleural Mesothelioma is one of the three different types of mesothelioma cancer. The other two types are pericardial and peritoneal. Out of the three types, pleural is the most common to be diagnosed, at seventy-five percent of all Mesothelioma diagnosis.
Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs, which is called the pleura. When cancer is in the pleura it is referred to as pleural mesothelioma, along with the lungs, there is a thin membrane which is called the mesothelium, thus, the name of the cancer. The mesothelium's function is to provide fluid for the lungs so that they can contract and expand. The mesothelium is vital in order to breath.
Pleural mesothelioma develops when a person is constantly exposed to asbestos. A lot of patients who have pleural mesothelioma were exposed to the asbestos while at work.
When asbestos fibers are inhaled on a continuous basis they become embedded in the pleura. When they embed themselves in the pleura it settles and causes inflammation. With the inflammation comes the danger of cancerous tumors. It can take years before the cancer surfaces.
Symptoms for mesothelioma do not usually occur until the late stages. Some of the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest pain, fluid around the lungs, and difficulty speaking or hoarseness.
These symptoms can be, and often are, confused with other common illness, which makes pleural mesothelioma extremely hard to diagnose correctly. In most cases the first symptom of pleural mesothelioma is chest pain. The chest pain is caused by growing tumors in the pleural space. The tumors also cause the pleural space to fill with fluid.
There is no cure for pleural mesothelioma but there are many treatment options and researchers are working on more treatment options daily.