A type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of the internal organs (mesothelium).
- An aggressive and deadly form of cancer.
- Treatments are available, but for many people with mesothelioma, a cure is not possible.
Mesothelioma is divided into different types based on what part of the mesothelium is affected.
- Pleural mesothelioma
- Mesothelioma that most often affects the tissue that surrounds the lungs (pleura).
- Rare types: Other, rarer types of mesothelioma affect tissue in the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma), around the heart and around the testicles.
Mesothelioma doesn’t include a form of noncancerous (benign) tumor that occurs in the chest and is sometimes called benign mesothelioma or solitary fibrous tumor.