Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure
to asbestos, which affects the pleura, a sac which surrounds the lungs, the
peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity, or the pericardium, a sac that
surrounds the heart.
In this disease, malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a
protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who
develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or
have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the
clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using
asbestos cement products.
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