An article from the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat by Laurie Kazan Allen analyzing the effects of the increasing utilization of asbestos in Asia.

The most common forms of asbestos disease are pleural plaques, asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a chronic, prolonged lung disease that is caused by continuous inhalation of asbestos particles. However, asbestosis is not cancerous. The second form, mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks mesothelium and is most commonly found in the lung. Mesothelioma is rare or nonexistent in non-asbestos exposed populations but is becoming more common among asbestos-exposed individuals.

An article by Dr Hedy Kindler unraveling the path to a better diagnosis and treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Here she analyses the latest findings in chemotherapy, targeted agents, biomarkers and delineates the therapeutic research opportunities for the future.