Mesothelioma is an asbestos caused cancer of the serous membranes

Mesothelioma is an asbestos caused cancer of the serous membranes that surround many of the body's vital organs. As the name indicates the asbestos lung cancer is the result of excessive asbestos contact. Fifteen percent of the people who have asbestos lung cancer do not show up the symptoms. One might get asbestos lung cancer if he or she is continuously contacted to asbestos. Asbestos-related lung diseases are diseases that develop from exposure to asbestos fibers.

Although sometimes referred to as "asbestos lung cancer", mesothelioma is not the same as lung cancer. Most people with malignant mesothelioma worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. Others were exposed to asbestos in a household environment, often without knowing it. Sometimes people who worked with asbestos for as little as one or two months get mesothelioma.

Lung cancer, or bronchial carcinoma, occurs in several forms. The most common causes of lung cancer are smoking and asbestos. The connection between asbestos exposure and lung cancer was noted as early as 1925, and confirmed over the next 70 years by many epidemiologic studies of asbestos-exposed workers.