Types of mesothelioma

This page tells you about the different types of mesothelioma. There is information about

• A quick guide to what's on this page
• Where you can get mesothelioma
• Mesothelioma by cell type

There are 2 main types of mesothelioma

• Mesothelioma in the covering of the lung (pleural mesothelioma)
• Mesothelioma in the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma)

Pleural mesothelioma starts in the sheets of tissue that cover the lungs. Peritoneal mesothelioma grows in the tissue lining the inside of the abdomen (tummy). Pleural mesothelioma is much more common than peritoneal mesothelioma.

Between 67 and 75% of mesothelioma cases are pleural mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is much less common, making up between 25 to 33% of cases.

Mesothelioma is also grouped according to how the cells look under a microscope. There are 3 types

• Epithelial - between 5 and 6 out of 10 cases (50 to 60%)
• Sarcomatoid or fibrous - around 1 in 10 cases (10%)
• Mixed type (also called biphasic type) - between 3 and 4 out of 10 cases (30 to 40%)

These types of mesothelioma cells can be further divided into other types called

• Clear cell
• Small cell
• Acinar cell
• Tubopapillary cell

There is information in this section about the types of tests you may have to diagnose mesothelioma and find out what type it is. For more information about mesothelioma, look at our page about what mesothelioma is.