Overwhelmed? Start Here.

If you’re reading this, chances are someone you love—maybe even you—has just been diagnosed with mesothelioma. That word alone can feel like a punch to the chest. It's rare. It's serious. And it comes with more questions than answers.

You’re not alone.

We've helped thousands of families with asbestos-related diseases. We know what it feels like to be flooded with information you don’t understand, asked to make major decisions without enough guidance, and expected to absorb the unimaginable.

So let’s slow things down.

This page is a starting point. It won’t answer every question—but it will give you a clear picture of what mesothelioma is, the different types, what to ask your doctor, and where to go for trustworthy help. From there, we’ll be here to walk you through whatever comes next.

No pressure. No sales pitch. Just clear, honest answers from a team that’s been doing this for more than a decade—and lived through it personally.

Let’s take the first step, together.

The 4 Types of Mesothelioma: Where the Cancer Starts

Mesothelioma is not just one disease—it’s actually four related cancers, all starting in the mesothelium, the thin layer of cells that lines certain parts of the body. While they share a common cause (almost always asbestos exposure), each type behaves differently depending on where it forms.

Below is a quick overview of each type. You can click to learn more about each one, including detailed pages on 2025 treatments, prognosis, and costs.

Pleural Mesothelioma (Lungs)

Pleural mesothelioma forms in the lining of the lungs (pleura) and is by far the most common type, making up about 75–80% of all cases. It often causes chest pain, coughing, and difficulty breathing due to fluid buildup. Most treatment plans involve chemotherapy, and some patients may qualify for surgery or radiation.

Still learning what pleural mesothelioma is—how it starts, what causes it, and how it affects your lungs?

Go to the Main Page for Pleural Mesothelioma

Looking for treatment info in 2025—including surgery, immunotherapy, and survival stats?

Visit the 2025 Treatments, Prognosis & Costs Page

Peritoneal Mesothelioma (Abdomen)

Peritoneal mesothelioma begins in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) and makes up about 10–20% of cases. It typically causes abdominal pain, bloating, and digestive problems. This type has better survival odds than others—especially when treated with a procedure called HIPEC (heated chemotherapy during surgery).

Trying to understand peritoneal mesothelioma—where it forms, what symptoms to watch for, and how it's linked to asbestos?

Go to the Main Page for Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Want to know about today’s treatments—especially HIPEC and what it costs in 2025?

Visit the 2025 Treatments, Prognosis & Costs Page

Pericardial Mesothelioma (Heart Lining)

This rare form of mesothelioma starts in the sac surrounding the heart (pericardium) and accounts for fewer than 1% of cases. It’s difficult to detect early, often mistaken for heart disease, and may only be found during surgery or autopsy. Treatment is limited but may include systemic therapies or palliative procedures.

Need to learn what pericardial mesothelioma is—how it affects the heart lining and how it's usually found?
Go to the Main Page for Pericardial Mesothelioma

Ready to explore treatment options in 2025—like chemo or palliative care and what you can expect?
Visit the 2025 Treatments, Prognosis & Costs Page

Testicular Mesothelioma (Tunica Vaginalis)

The rarest form, testicular mesothelioma, develops in the membrane around the testicle (tunica vaginalis). It may present as a painless swelling or a mass that seems like a hernia or hydrocele. Surgery is usually the primary treatment, and long-term outcomes depend on how early it's found.

Not sure what testicular mesothelioma really means—how rare it is, where it starts, and how it's diagnosed?
Go to the Main Page for Testicular Mesothelioma

Want the latest on 2025 treatment plans—especially surgery outcomes and cost estimates?
Visit the 2025 Treatments, Prognosis & Costs Page

Is It Really Mesothelioma?

Before you go too far down the treatment path, it’s worth asking a difficult but important question:

Are you sure the diagnosis is correct?

Mesothelioma is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed cancers in the world. That’s partly because it’s so rare—many doctors will never see a case in their entire career. It also looks very similar under the microscope to other cancers like adenocarcinoma or metastatic ovarian cancer.

If your diagnosis is based only on imaging (like a CT or PET scan) or fluid drained from your chest or abdomen, it’s not confirmed. Those tests can suggest cancer—but only a tissue biopsy can definitively diagnose mesothelioma.

We’ve seen many families go through surgery, chemo, or even legal claims based on a diagnosis that turned out to be wrong. That’s why we strongly recommend making sure the diagnosis comes from a board-certified pathologist with experience in mesothelioma—and getting a second opinion if there’s any doubt.

If you’re not sure how the diagnosis was made, we can help review the pathology report and point you toward a reliable specialist. Just call us at 833-4-ASBESTOS.

Should You Get a Second Opinion?

Yes. And you shouldn’t feel awkward about it.

Mesothelioma is one of the rarest cancers in the world. Even many experienced oncologists and surgeons will go their entire careers without treating a single case. That’s not their fault—it’s just reality. But it means they may not be fully up to date on the best diagnostic tools, newest treatments, or which centers are offering clinical trials.

A second opinion isn’t about mistrusting your current doctor. It’s about making sure your diagnosis is right and that your treatment plan is based on the latest research and best practices. Many patients we’ve worked with discovered important options they hadn’t been offered—sometimes because their original doctor had simply never seen a case of mesothelioma before.

We strongly recommend getting a second opinion from a specialist who has treated mesothelioma before—ideally, someone who works in a hospital that sees multiple cases every year and offers multidisciplinary care.

Need help finding someone? We work with some of the most experienced mesothelioma specialists in the country. Call 833-4-ASBESTOS, and we’ll help you connect with the right expert for your case.

Don’t Know the Words? That’s Normal.

Mesothelioma is a rare disease—and the language used to describe it can feel even rarer. You might see terms in your medical records like epithelioid, pleurectomy, or BAP1 deletion and wonder if you’re supposed to know what they mean.

You’re not. That’s why we built the Mesothelioma Lexicon—a plain-language glossary of medical and legal terms related to mesothelioma, asbestos exposure, diagnosis, treatment, and more.

Here’s how it can help:

• Medical terms explained in real English

• Legal words decoded, including asbestos trust terms

• A place to bookmark for whenever new terms come up

Whether you're trying to understand a pathology report or just want to know what your doctor meant by “latency period,” the Lexicon is here to help.

👉 Browse the Mesothelioma Lexicon

Can’t find a term? Let us know, and we’ll add it—or explain it to you directly.

How to Understand a Pathology Report

Pathology reports can feel like they’re written in another language—but buried in that technical jargon is the truth about what kind of cancer you’re dealing with.

Here’s what to look for:

Diagnosis or Final Impression: This is the most important section. It should clearly state something like “Malignant pleural mesothelioma, epithelioid type” or “Adenocarcinoma, likely of lung origin.”

• If it’s vague—like “suspicious for mesothelioma” or “inconclusive”—you need further testing.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC): This is one of the most important tools pathologists use to confirm whether a tumor is mesothelioma—or something else entirely.

• When cancer cells are removed in a biopsy, they can be treated with special stains that “light up” proteins commonly found in certain types of cancer. This process is called immunohistochemistry (IHC). Think of it as fingerprinting the tumor—each type of cancer has its own pattern of positive and negative markers.

• In mesothelioma, there’s no single stain that proves the diagnosis. Instead, it takes a combination of positive markers (things mesothelioma cells usually have) and negative markers (things mesothelioma cells usually don’t).

Key Immunohistochemical (IHC) Markers for Diagnosing Mesothelioma

Note: A reliable diagnosis typically requires multiple positive and negative markers. No single stain is definitive by itself.

The Cellular Types of Mesothelioma (Histological Subtype)

If the diagnosis is confirmed as mesothelioma, the pathology report should also specify the cell type. This matters—a lot. The cell type can impact your prognosis, your eligibility for surgery, and how well certain treatments are likely to work. The three main types are:

• Epithelioid Mesothelioma
  This is the most common type, and fortunately, the most treatable. Epithelioid cells tend to grow more slowly and respond better to treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Patients with epithelioid mesothelioma generally have a better prognosis than those with other types.
  Learn more about epithelioid mesothelioma »

• Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
  This type is more aggressive and harder to treat. Sarcomatoid cells grow in a scattered, spindle-like pattern, making them harder to remove with surgery. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy may be less effective, and many centers consider clinical trials for this subtype.
  Learn more about sarcomatoid mesothelioma »

• Biphasic Mesothelioma
  This is a mix of epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells. How it behaves depends on the ratio between the two—more epithelioid cells generally mean better outcomes. Accurate diagnosis by a skilled pathologist is especially important for biphasic cases, since treatment plans may vary.
  Learn more about biphasic mesothelioma »

If your pathology report doesn’t mention the cell type—or if it says “can’t classify”—ask your doctor why, or consider getting a second opinion.

Still unsure? We can walk you through it. You don’t need to know every medical term—but you do need to know what kind of cancer you’re up against.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

A mesothelioma diagnosis brings a lot of emotion—and a lot of decisions. It’s easy to forget what to ask in the moment. Here’s a list of key questions that can help you understand your situation and make confident, informed choices.

You don’t have to ask all of these at once. Just keep them handy and take them to your next appointment.

About the Diagnosis

• What type of mesothelioma do I have?

  • Pleural, peritoneal, pericardial, and testicular are the four types.

• What cell type is it—epithelioid, sarcomatoid, or biphasic?

  • There are also a number of extremely rare subtypes, with names like desmoplastic, lymphohistiocytoid, or deciduoid. These are unusual and may require review by a specialist pathologist to confirm.

• Has the diagnosis been confirmed by a biopsy and immunohistochemical testing?

  • No matter how suspicious something may look, or how experienced a doctor may be, there is no way to confirm mesothelioma without a biopsy.

About the Stage and Spread

• What stage is the cancer in?

  • Not every type of mesothelioma has formal stages. For those that don't doctors typically describe them as localized if it hasn't spread, and advanced if it did.

• Has it spread to other parts of the body?

  • The medical word for this is metastasis - our lexicon explains why.

• Can you explain what this means for treatment and prognosis?

  • Metastasis dramatically affects prognosis.

About Treatment Options

• What treatment options are available to me right now?

  • In general, younger patients in otherwise good health have more options than older patients with other health issues.

• Do I qualify for surgery, HIPEC, or clinical trials?

• What are the goals of treatment—curing the disease, slowing it down, or relieving symptoms?

• What are the potential side effects?

  • Treatment should consider quality of life, not just extension of life.

About Where to Get Care

• Have you treated mesothelioma before?

• Are there hospitals or doctors you recommend who focus on this disease?

• Should you travel to a specialty center for care?

Help We Can Offer Your Family

When someone in your family is diagnosed with mesothelioma, you’re not just facing a medical crisis. You’re also dealing with questions no one ever prepared you for—about legal rights, financial help, and how to even start piecing things together.

That’s where we come in.

We’re a law firm that focuses exclusively on asbestos-related cases. But more importantly, we’re a team of people who’ve lived through this—who know how heavy it can feel in the beginning, and how much easier it gets when someone experienced is guiding you forward.

Here’s what we can help with right now:

Finding the Right Medical Care

Mesothelioma isn’t just rare—it’s highly specialized. Many local hospitals and cancer centers simply don’t have the experience or resources to offer the most effective treatments. The best outcomes often come from specialty centers that see mesothelioma patients regularly and offer advanced options like HIPEC, immunotherapy, or lung-sparing surgery.

We can help you:

• Find top mesothelioma treatment centers based on your diagnosis, location, and cell type

• Connect with doctors who specialize in mesothelioma, not just general oncology

• Coordinate second opinions with leading institutions

• Advocate for access to cutting-edge therapies and clinical trials

If travel is required, we can advance the cost of airfare, lodging, and related expenses so that finances don’t get in the way of the care you deserve.

We’ve helped clients get to appointments at top cancer centers across the U.S.—and we’ll do the same for you, with no up-front cost.

Helping You Understand the Disease—and Your Options

Mesothelioma isn’t just medically complex—it’s emotionally overwhelming. That’s why we’ve built our firm to be more than just legal support. We’re here to help your family understand what you’re facing, what choices you have, and how to move forward with confidence.

Our founding attorney, Justinian Lane, has lived this firsthand. He lost multiple family members—including his father and grandfather—to asbestos-related cancer. He’s sat in the same waiting rooms, heard the same frightening words, and made the same impossible decisions.

That experience is why we do things differently:

• We’ve created a plain-language Mesothelioma Lexicon to explain confusing medical and legal terms.

• We have a dedicated team available 24/7 to answer questions—real people, not bots.

• And we take the time to help you feel informed, empowered, and never alone.

When things feel out of control, information is a lifeline. We’re here to give you answers—and help you feel less helpless.

Meeting You Wherever You Are

Whether you're in a major city or a rural town, we’ll meet you on your terms. Some families prefer to connect by video. Others want us there in person. We can do both—and often do a mix, depending on what you need.

We have offices in Arizona, Texas, California, and Washington, but we’ve represented families all across the United States—and even abroad, including Canada and South Africa.

Wherever you are, we’re just a call or click away. We’ll:

• Set up secure video meetings for updates or strategy

• Travel to your home if needed, anywhere in the country

• Coordinate local document pickup and signatures

• Use whatever technology makes things easiest for you

Our job is to reduce stress, not add to it—and that starts with showing up in the way that works best for your family.

Using the Law to Help Pay for Your Treatment

Mesothelioma treatment is incredibly expensive. Even with insurance, costs can exceed $100,000, especially for newer options like immunotherapy. But here’s what many families don’t realize:

There are multiple legal and government programs that can help—and we know how to access them.

We’ve spent years navigating:

• Asbestos trust funds (which can pay without a lawsuit)

• Lawsuits against manufacturers of asbestos products

• Veterans benefits (VA claims) for military exposure

• Social Security Disability (SSDI) for fast-track financial support

We’ve helped families start receiving money in as little as 30–60 days—sometimes before treatment even begins.

Learn more about the legal options available to families affected by mesothelioma.

The law can’t undo the damage, but it can help cover the cost of fighting back. Let us show you how.

You don’t have to have it all figured out today. Just take the next step. Call us at 833-4-ASBESTOS or send a message—we’re here to help, whenever you’re ready.