label: Malignant mesothelioma
label_lc: malignant mesothelioma
description: Malignant mesothelioma is a form of cancer that originates from the cells of the mesothelium, a thin tissue layer surrounding the body's internal organs. Malignant mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure, pleural mesothelioma being the most common form, affecting the lining of the lungs called the pleura. Other forms such as perioneal-, percardial- or testicular- mesothelioma are much rarer.