If mesothelioma spreads
Cancer cells can spread from the mesothelium to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.
Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care.
Pleural mesothelioma
If pleural mesothelioma spreads, it can spread to the:
- space in the chest between the lungs (mediastinum)
- esophagus
- thymus
- windpipe (trachea)
- muscles and ribs of the chest
- opposite lung
- thin muscle below the lungs and heart (diaphragm)
- lymph nodes of the chest
- liver
- kidneys and adrenal glands
- bones
Peritoneal mesothelioma
If peritoneal mesothelioma spreads, it can spread to:
- the tissue covering the small intestine and colon
- the space between the lungs and the walls of the chest
- the liver
- the spleen
- other organs in the abdomen
Peritoneal mesothelioma rarely spreads outside of the abdomen.
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