Mesothelioma is a rare yet very complicated form of a cancerous disease. It is contracted usually by persons working in asbestos mines and other asbestos-related industries, where the air is permeated with very minute asbestos dust particles that are inhaled during the breathing process. These particles are so minute that they can be viewed only under a microscope. These dust particles enter into the lungs, intestine, heart and other vital organs of the human body. The symptoms of the disease do not appear immediately; they have a very long incubation period. But once they appear, they become life threatening and result in a low survival rate.

The irony of the situation is that in most cases, the person is unable to interpret the symptoms when they arise. This is because symptoms, like cough, fever, shortness of breath, chest pains, etc., can be simply taken for common ailments. The incubation period of the symptoms is generally very long, sometimes lasting many years. This further compounds the problem, as both the patient and the doctor normally do not trace the origin of the problem to its actual cause, i.e. the breathing of asbestos dust.

It is when the normal treatment does no good to the patient that a need to prepare a history sheet of the patients past years of life and work is determined. The research starts with the family doctor referring the case to the mesothelioma specialists for their consultation and thorough examination.

Obviously the first step, like in every other medical problem, starts with preparing the work history of the patient and conducting diagnostic examination to confirm the suspicions aroused by it. The physical examination includes taking X-rays of heart, lungs and abdomen, MRIs, and CT scans, biopsies, etc., that may further corroborate or contradict the initial hypotheses. Once the diagnosis regarding the extent, the variety and the age of the malady is confirmed, a multispeciality board of doctors meets to plan the treatment. The treatment of mesothelioma is coordinated with the regularly occurring new clinical tests trials. Still, the general treatment of the disease involves surgery to remove the affected tissue or the organ. Besides this, radiation treatment and chemotherapy are also prescribed to kill the cancerous cells.