Mesothelioma is a very rare malignancy in the general population, but found quite commonly in asbestos-exposed individuals. In fact, asbestos is the only known confirmed cause of mesothelioma in the United States. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung, known as the pleura or the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneum (peritoneal mesothelioma).

Mesothelioma is a very serious condition which usually first develops many years after a person was first exposed to asbestos. The time it takes for mesothelioma to develop following first exposure to asbestos, known as the latency period, can be from ten to fifty years. People exposed to asbestos, including people who worked at a summer job involving intensive asbestos exposure while they were in their teens or in school, may be shocked to learn many years later that the mesothelioma they developed came from a fleeting, short term exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos exposure also is the cause of asbestosis, a chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage.

Additional Resources