Mesothelioma, or the cancer of mesothelium, is a fatal tumor that affects pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium - linings around lungs, abdomen, and heart respectively. It is a fatal disease caused by exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral.

Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma...