Mesothelioma is complicated form of cancer that is not fully understood. Most of the people who suffer from mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos. As such, asbestos is the primary risk factor for mesothelioma along with other factors that are not fully understood. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that was used historically in building and construction materials to help strengthen the materials and acts as insulation and a fire retardant for the materials. As asbestos fibers are released in the production, manufacture, use and wear of such materials, the fibers are inhaled and ingested by people who are exposed to the airborne fibers. These individuals have been shown to be most at risk for developing mesothelioma, though it is not known exactly how it happens. A large part of research efforts is geared toward determining how asbestos fibers changes cells of mesothelium membranes to create abnormal cells, and thus, cancer. Ongoing research into the cause of this cancer is expected to lead to better methods of preventing and treating the cancer than are currently available.

Since the 1970s, many efforts have been made to reduce the use or even ban the use of asbestos in products and materials. Efforts have also been made to reduce the level of exposure to such materials in the home and workplace. The US government and US industries have established a number of laws, rules and regulation to protect individuals, but some other countries have been lax in establishing such controls. Still other countries have no controls over the use of and exposure to asbestos.

The number of cases of mesothelioma is expected to have reached its peak in the US with the decline in use over the years and the effectiveness of safety measures implemented when it is used. A study by the US National Cancer Institute in the year 2003 projected the number of cases of mesothelioma during 2003-2005 for males at 71,000. This study does not take into account more recent events, such as the 911 attacks where millions were put at risk for exposure to carcinogenic asbestos particles in the air. As such, the latency period is expected to extent diagnosis of mesothelioma until years into the future.

There are two types of mesothelioma that account for most cases of mesothelioma. They are peritoneal mesothelioma, which is cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity, and pleural mesothelioma, which is cancer of the lining of the pleura membrane that covers the lungs and lines the chest cavity. Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods have been defined for these types of mesothelioma. However, ongoing research and development is geared towards finding better methods of preventing, diagnosing and treating the disease. Because mesothelioma is an aggressive disease, many of the treatment options are palliative, which means they attempt to reduce the pain and discomfort associated with the disease. Other treatment methods are described as curative, which means they attempt to cure the disease. However, there is always a risk of not being able to remove the cancer that characterizes mesothelioma, and thus, not curing the disease.

Curative treatment methods are used for patients who have localized cancer tumors that could possibly be removed. However, cancer may spread to other areas of the body that doctors are not able to detect until a procedure is in progress or after a procedure has been completed. Though the intent is curative, the reality is that unknown and unsuspected conditions may arise to prevent doctors from actually curing patients. Curative methods are most effective for patients who are diagnosed in the early stages of mesothelioma. However, most patients are not diagnosed until the disease has progressed to later stages where palliative treatment methods must be used. Common treatment methods include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, the participation in clinical trials and combinations of these methods. As research and development evolve, more treatment options, such as gene therapy and new drugs, offer promising results.