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.

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

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.