Louisiana’s Pulp and Paper Industry
A deadly legacy of asbestos exposure The most popular method of producing paper products...
READ MOREIf you are at all familiar with mesothelioma, you probably associate the word with a type of cancer that is almost always fatal. However, there is another form of the disease known as benign non-malignant mesothelioma. While it is not cancer, it can still cause serious problems.
A person who has benign non-malignant mesothelioma has a tumor, just like malignant mesothelioma. However, this type of tumor is not cancerous. It grows very slowly and does not spread throughout the body.
In some instances, though, benign non-malignant mesothelioma tumors can grow large enough that they can lead to severe issues if not removed. Tumors tend to first appear as a solitary fibrous mass, while malignant mesothelioma tumors typically first appear as a scattering of small nodules. Some of the complications associated with these larger tumors include:
Benign non-malignant mesothelioma occurs far more in women in their 60s and 70s but can develop in men as well.
While benign non-malignant mesothelioma is typically not linked to asbestos exposure, malignant mesothelioma is. People with the disease only live about a year on average after a diagnosis, and although progress is being made in terms of finding effective treatments, there is still no cure.