Mesothelioma Medical Terms Glossary

A-Reader
A physician who has submitted six sample x-rays from his or her own files to the Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Safety and Health (ALOSH) consisting of two x-rays negative for pneumoconiosis, two x-rays showing simple pneumoconiosis, and two showing complicated pneumoconiosis; or who has taken a course approved by ALOSH in the classification systems for diagnosing pneumoconiosis.

Autopsy
A surgical procedure after death which involves the examination of body tissues, often to determine cause of death.

Benign Mesothelioma

The benign type of mesothelioma most commonly develops in the pleura. Those who suffer benign mesothelioma can expect for full cure and recovery. Mesothelioma cancer center will diagnose wether it is benign or malignant.

Biopsy
A procedure involving the removal of a sample of tissue for microscopic analysis. Biopsies can be accomplished with a biopsy needle (passed through the skin into the organ or tumor in question) or by open surgical incision.

B-Reader
A physician who has demonstrated proficiency in assessing and classifying x-ray evidence of pneumoconiosis by successful completion of an examination conducted by the United States Public Health Service.

Carcinogenic
Of a substance which causes cancer.

Carcinoma
A malignant tumor that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
A progressive lung disease process characterized by difficulty breathing, wheezing, and a chronic cough. Complications include bronchitis, pneumonia, and lung cancer.

Cytology
The branch of biological science that deals with the structure and function of cells.

Differential diagnosis
The determination of which two or more diseases with similar symptoms is the one from which a patient is suffering, based on an analysis of the clinical data.
direct examination
The first questioning of a witness during a trial or deposition.

Epidemiology
The statistical study of the distribution and determinants of disease in populations.

Epithelial
Of the cells that line the internal and external surfaces of the body.

Histology
The study of the structure and behavior of cells and body tissues, usually involving microscopic examination of tissue slices.

Idiopathic
Of a condition or disorder that occurs spontaneously for unknown reasons.

Immunohistochemical staining
A laboratory process of detecting an organism in tissues with antibodies. These antibodies are labeled with a compound that is seen as a colored deposit when viewed microscopically. In general, mesotheliomas require immunohistochemical confirmation before legal measures are initiated.

Invasive cancer
Cancer that has spread beyond the area where it first developed to involve other tissues.

Latency period
The period between exposure to a disease-causing agent and the onset or appearance of disease symptoms. The latency period for asbestos-related diseases ranges from 15 years for asbestosis to 30 years or more for lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Lung cancer
An uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in lung tissue. Primary lung cancer originates in the lungs, while metastatic lung cancer spreads to the lungs from another organ. Classification is based on the type of cell the cancer originates from: adenocarcinoma, alveolar cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell, and small cell carcinomas.

Mesothelial cells
Specialized cells forming a tissue called the mesothelium which lines the chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart. These cells also cover the outer surface of most internal organs.

Mesothelioma panel
National pathology reference panel for the diagnosis of mesothelioma which grades individual tumors according to the degree of diagnostic certainty.

Mesothelium
A layer of specialized cells forming a thin membrane that lines certain body cavities: where it covers the lungs and the inner surfaces of the chest wall, it is called the pleura; where it covers the organs of the abdominal cavity and the inner surfaces of that cavity, it is called the peritoneum; where it constitutes the sac that surrounds the heart, it is called the pericardium.

Neoplasm
New growth or tumor which may be benign or malignant.

Palliative
Of a treatment which serves to alleviate symptoms. Palliative therapy does not attempt to cure or alter the course of a disease, but improve the quality of life.

Pathologist
A specialist physician expert in the origin and development of disease and the microscopic analysis of body tissues.
peer review
An examination and evaluation of the performance of a professional or technician by a board or committee made up of people in the same occupation.

Pneumoconiosis
Fibrosis and scarring of the lungs as a result of repeated inhalation of occupationally associated dust, such as silica, asbestos, and coal dust.

Pulmonary function test (PFT)
An examination measuring an individual's lung capacity, speed of exhalation, and oxygenation after a period of exertion. This type of test in useful in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), occupational lung disease, emphysema, and asthma.

Pulmonologist
A specialist physician expert in the treatment of lung disease.

Screening
Testing for disease in people without symptoms.

Silicosis
A form of chronic lung disease which develops after prolonged exposure to silica (quartz) dust.

SV40
Simian Virus 40, a monkey virus that contaminated the polio vaccine administered to 98 million Americans from 1955 to 1963, and has been associated with a number of rare human cancers. One controversial theory links SV40 to mesothelioma.

TLV defense
Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) are much-criticized air contaminant standards for the workplace devised and published by a private organization called the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The typical TLV defense, used as a shield from liability in personal injury lawsuits, quotes the ACGIH saying that TLVs are "thought to be safe for workers -- based on the best available information."

Trimodality therapy
Therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma involving extrapleural pneumonectomy (removal of the lung) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Trimodality therapy appears to help prolong life, though initial surgery does carry significant risks.

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