Exposure

Most cases of mesothelioma involve patients with a work history of asbestos exposure. This is because mesothelioma is caused by inhaling or ingesting asbestos particles. It usually presents as a pleural mesothelioma, i.e. a mass located in the membranes that line the lungs. Twenty percent of mesothelioma patients have peritoneal mesothelioma, which is located in the lining of the abdomen that encases several abdominal organs.