Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare tumor, and is characterized by local spread involving the
mediastinal lymph nodes. Occupational exposure to asbestos is responsible for approximately 70-80% of cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Malignant Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the pleura or lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs. It is the most common type of mesothelioma.
More than seventy-five (75) % of all diagnosed Mesothelioma cases are cases of Pleural Mesothelioma.
(MPM) affects over 3,000 people a year in the US, and considering the 15-year latency period between exposure and expression of the disease, there will be an estimated 300,000 cases before the year 2030. Epidemiological studies predict that approximately 250,000 Europeans will develop mesothelioma in the next few decades. Currently the incidence abroad is 1.25 out of 100,000 people in Great Britain and 1.1 out of 100,000 people in Germany are diagnosed with MPM. Because malignant pleural mesothelioma is one of the more life threatening types of diseases from asbestos exposure, it requires a more aggressive treatment. Traditional treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy and combined approaches of drug therapy and chemotherapy, or utilizing multiple types of therapy (referred to as multimodality).
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the serous membranes. These membranes enclose a number of organs throughout the midsection of the body, including the lungs.
MPM rarely metastasizes to distant sites throughout the body, and most patients present with locally advanced disease. However, in extremely rare cases, mesothelioma can spread to the lungs from the serous linings of the lungs, abdomen or heart. When this occurs it is considered secondary lung cancer.
