Mesothelioma Presenting With Hematologic Co-Malignancy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm arising from the mesothelial cells of body cavities. In 70-90% of cases this involves the pleural cavity with an incidence of 3,200 cases per year and over 45,000 deaths in the US from 1999 to 2015. Unfortunately, no therapy is shown to reduce mortality, which typically occurs within one year of diagnosis. The major risk factor is asbestos exposure from highrisk professions such as shipbuilding , construction and automobile repair. In contrast, numerous cases report patients without notable environmental exposures prompting investigation of other associations, including alternative malignancies. Highlighting this, we present a patient with progressive dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain and weight loss initially diagnosed with low-grade B cell lymphoma, subsequently found to have Malignant Mesothelioma after a high clinical suspicion led to further evaluation.