The thin layer of tissue lining the lung and the chest cavity is known as the pleura. It is made up of two parts: the parietal pleura, which lines the chest wall and diaphragm, and the visceral pleura, which lines the lungs. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer in which the cells of the pleura become malignant. It the most common type of mesothelioma, making up about two out of every three cases diagnosed. The thin layer of tissue lining the lung and the chest cavity is known as the pleura. It is made up of two parts: the parietal pleura, which lines the chest wall and diaphragm, and the visceral pleura, which lines the lungs.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer in which the cells of the pleura become malignant. It the most common type of mesothelioma, making up about two out of every three cases diagnosed.
Pleural mesothelioma is almost certainly triggered by exposure to asbestos, a fibrous mineral widely used in thousands of building materials and other products until the 1980s. As time passes, these materials release microscopic fibers of asbestos into the air; once inhaled, they work their way into the alveoli – the tiny passageways deep within the lungs – and from there into the pleura.
In the pleura, these fibers come into contact with the cellular structure of the tissue, where a still poorly-understood chemical reaction takes place. This chemical reaction turns the cells of the pleura cancerous, thickening the pleural lining and causing inflammation.
This gradually narrows the passages of the lungs, causing shortness of breath, and eventually loss of lung function. Meanwhile the cancerous cells are spreading to other parts of the body, causing further effects.
