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Home: : Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is the medical term for cancer of the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a thin protective membrane covering internal organs in the body. The mesothelium is composed of two layers of cells: One layer surrounds the organ; the second layer forms a sac around the organ. Mesothelioma occurs when the cells of the mesothelium become cancerous. They start dividing without control or order and invading and damaging tissues and organs nearby.
The mesothelium itself is named differently depending on its location in the body. For example, the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity is called the peritoneum. The mesothelium tissue around the lungs and chest cavity is called the pleura.
Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum. Often in mesothelioma the cancer cells also metastasize or spread from their original site to other parts of the body.
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