Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which the cancer cells are found in the pleural area (Pleura is the thin layer of tissue that is between the chest cavity and the lungs) or the peritoneum (peritoneum is a thin layer of tissue that lines most of the organs in the abdomen).

Mesothelioma has so far been an incurable cancer and once diagnosed most patients will die within a year. The link between asbestos exposure and mesethelioma is now well established. Asbestos as a result has been named the 'The feared fibre of death' by some researchers.

The link between asbestosis and mesothelioma was proved in a paper in the British Medical Journal in 1960. In the UK, asbestos use in homes has been totally prohibited from 1999.

Mesothelial cells are special cells that line the chest cavity, abdominal and heart cavity. The tissues formed by the mesothelial cells are called as Mesothelium. The mesothelium helps protect your organs by producing a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around. This fluid makes it easier for the lungs to move inside the chest during breathing.

A malignant tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma. Because most mesothelial tumors are cancerous, malignant mesothelioma is often simply called mesothelioma.