Mesothelioma and NSCLC are both types of cancer that asbestos can cause, but they're very different diseases. Smoking usually causes NSCLC, which develops in the cells of your lung. Mesothelioma is usually due to asbestos exposure and can develop in the tissues lining your lungs, heart, or abdomen.
How does mesothelioma differ from other lung cancers?
- Mesothelioma is often accompanied by pleural thickening or pleural effusion, while lung cancer is most of the time not. Pleural thickening is the extensive scarring of the lining of the chest cavity, whereas pleural effusion involves the accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity.
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma lung cancer?
- Persistent cough
- Changes in an existing cough
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain
- Hoarseness
- Wheezing
- Weight loss
- Headaches
- Bone pain
How does mesothelioma affect lung capacity?
- Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease, accounting for over 70 percent of cases. It affects the lining around the lungs, called the pleura, and reduces the lungs’ air capacity, which makes it more difficult for them to expand and contract.
Is mesothelioma a rare cancer?
- Mesothelioma is a rare type of lung cancer. It is the only form of lung cancer not caused by smoking. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos, which many Americans have been exposed to in the home or in the workplace.
Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure, while adenocarcinoma is most often caused by smoking. However, some adenocarcinoma patients never smoked. Adenocarcinoma is lung cancer that forms in the lungs, while mesothelioma forms in the lung and/or abdominal lining.