Mesothelioma is a very rare form of cancer, where malignant cancer cells are found in the sac lining of the chest and lungs (known as pleural mesothelioma) or abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma). The most common cause of mesothelioma is the inhalation of asbestos particles. This makes this disease most common among workers who come into contact with asbestos, such as shipyard workers, construction workers and workers in the heating business.

In many cases, mesothelioma is hard to detect as it has fairly general symptoms. The problem with this is that the more the diagnosis is delayed, the more severe the disease becomes, and it may even prove fatal. Initial symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include: shortness of breath, chest pain and/or a persistent cough. In many patients, the right lung is affected 60 per cent of the time, with the incidence of both lungs being affected as low as 5 per cent. A chest x-ray will commonly show a build-up of fluid. In peritoneal mesothelioma, patients may experience pain or swelling in the abdomen, nausea, swollen feet, weight loss and/or bowel obstruction.

The progression of the disease very much depends on the amount of exposure to asbestos and the length of time the sufferer was exposed, as well as the physical characteristics of the patient. In some cases the disease may take years to develop and in others it can progress much more quickly. A simple x-ray should be able to detect the presence of mesothelioma.

The disease is categorized into four distinct stages: stage one is where the disease is localized; stage two is considered advanced, with the disease affecting the lymph nodes for example; stage three is further advanced, with the disease beginning to affect the chest wall or diaphragm or other areas; stage four is when the disease has metastasized.