What Is Pleural Thickening?
Pleural thickening is a condition where the lining of the lungs becomes scarred and stiff. It’s commonly caused by exposure to asbestos.
Pleural thickening can be an early sign of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that usually affects the lung lining.
Key Facts on Asbestos Pleural Thickening
- Common symptoms: Shortness of breath, chest pain, and a persistent cough
- Diagnostic testing: Imaging tests and biopsies if cancer is suspected
- Link to cancer: Diffuse (widespread) thickening could be a sign of mesothelioma
- Latency period: 10-50 years after asbestos exposure
- Treatment options: Medications for pain and inflammation, pulmonary rehabilitation, surgery
Get our Free Pleural Mesothelioma Guide to learn more about symptoms, treatments, and top doctors for mesothelioma pleural thickening.
Pleural Thickening in Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases
Pleural thickening is a common sign of other asbestos-related diseases, most notably malignant pleural mesothelioma.
About 80% of pleural mesothelioma patients have pleural thickening of the lungs. The irritation from asbestos fibers causes damage that can lead to both conditions.
Other asbestos illnesses linked to pleural thickening include:
- Asbestosis: A chronic disease where lung function weakens over time.
- Lung cancer: May develop after asbestos damages the lung tissue.
- Pleural effusion: A buildup of excess fluid in the lung lining. According to a 2024 Radiologia report, pleural effusions commonly occur alongside pleural thickening in mesothelioma patients.
While not everyone with pleural thickening will go on to develop other health issues, keep a close watch on your health — especially if you may have been exposed to asbestos.
Contact us now if you’re concerned about mesothelioma pleural thickening. Our registered nurses can listen to your symptoms and recommend next steps.
Types of Pleural Thickening
There are several types of pleural thickening. Doctors can use diagnostic tests to determine which type you have and if cancer could be a concern.
Common types of pleural thickening include:
- Apical pleural thickening: Scarring develops on the apex (top part) of the lung. Over 92% of cases fall under this type, according to a study in Respiratory Research.
- Biapical pleural thickening: Inflammation and scarring forms on the top parts of both lungs.
- Diffuse pleural thickening: Widespread thickening affects over 25% of both lungs or 50% of one lung.
- Focal pleural thickening: Develops in small deposits called pleural plaques in the lung lining.
- Nodular pleural thickening: Forms in bumps and is usually an indicator of cancer, according to a 2024 study.
Thickening can develop in the two main parts of the pleural space: the parietal pleura (outer layer that connects to the chest wall) and the visceral pleura (inner layer that protects the lungs).
Almost all cases of asbestos-caused pleural thickening form in the parietal pleura, according to a 2023 report from Seminars in Roentgenology.
Pleural Thickening Causes
Asbestos exposure is one of the most notable causes of pleural thickening. Asbestos is a fiber-like mineral that was used in thousands of products up until the early 1980s.
If you worked in a blue-collar industry or served in the military, you could have breathed in asbestos fibers. The fibers can become trapped in the lung lining, causing long-term irritation that may eventually lead to pleural thickening.
Other potential causes of pleural thickening include infections, autoimmune diseases, and getting radiation or surgery.
Get our Free Pleural Mesothelioma Guide shipped overnight to learn more about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma pleural thickening.
Pleural Thickening Symptoms
Pleural thickening prevents the lungs from expanding and contracting properly and makes breathing more difficult.
Common symptoms of pleural thickening include:
- Breathlessness
- Chest pain
- Dry cough
- Fatigue
Symptoms vary depending on the extent and location of the thickening and your overall health. Many are also possible mesothelioma symptoms, so make sure to take action if you’re concerned.
How Is Pleural Thickening Diagnosed?
Doctors typically diagnose pleural thickening through a series of tests.
Tests for pleural thickening may include:
- Chest X-rays: Often the first tests used to detect abnormalities in the lungs and pleura.
- CT (computed tomography) scans: Provide detailed cross-sectional images of the chest. According to a 2022 report from Diagnostics, doctors can look at the depth and patterns of pleural thickening on CT scans to help determine if you have cancer.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): Sometimes used when more detail is needed beyond what a CT scan can offer.
- Pulmonary function tests (PFTs): Assess lung function and capacity, which can be affected by pleural thickening.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scans: May be used to help when removing a sample fluid or tissue to check for cancer. The 2024 Radiologia report noted that PET scans helped show pleural thickening that wasn’t easily seen on CT scans.
If your doctor thinks pleural thickening could be a sign of mesothelioma or lung cancer, they’ll take a biopsy to remove a fluid or tissue sample and test it for cancer cells. This is the only way to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis related to pleural thickening.
“If there’s quite a bit of fluid around the lung, surgical biopsies can be done with a camera scope to take out the fluid and sample the pleural lining. Removing the fluid can help improve breathing, and we can get adequate tissue to make a clear diagnosis.”
Pleural Thickening & Misdiagnosis
Pleural thickening can be challenging to diagnose accurately since it shares similar symptoms and imaging characteristics with other conditions affecting the lung lining.
Pleural thickening may be misdiagnosed as:
- Extrapleural fat
- Normal body structures in the chest like muscles or veins
- Pleural effusions
Pleural thickening may also make it hard for doctors to remove a biopsy sample when diagnosing mesothelioma, according to a 2024 Journal of Clinical Medicine report. As a result, doctors may need to take multiple biopsy samples to avoid a misdiagnosis.
Treating Mesothelioma & Pleural Thickening
Most pleural thickening cases don’t require treatment, as most patients experience only mild symptoms.
Pleural thickening treatment options may include:
- Pulmonary rehabilitation to improve lung function
- Quitting smoking since cigarette smoke damages the lungs
- Pain medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to ease pain and inflammation
If your doctor confirms the thickening is linked to pleural mesothelioma, they will recommend treatments to help you live longer.
Common treatments for mesothelioma include:
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP): Surgery to remove the lung closest to the cancer, the lung lining, and all tumors
- Pleurectomy with decortication (P/D): Surgery that takes out the lung lining
- Chemotherapy: Cancer-killing medication that circulates through the body or is delivered directly to the chest cavity during surgery
- Immunotherapy: Medication that helps the immune system fight cancer
- Radiation therapy: Beams of X-ray energy that destroy cancer tumors
Doctors will often combine multiple treatments to help destroy cancer tumors and improve quality of life.
Use our Free Doctor Match to connect with specialists in your area who treat mesothelioma pleural thickening.
Prognosis for Pleural Thickening
Pleural thickening alone doesn’t pose a risk to overall health, but it may worsen your prognosis (disease outlook) with mesothelioma.
Recent studies show how pleural thickening impacts mesothelioma prognosis:
- The extent of thickening could impact your ability to get pleural mesothelioma surgery, according to a 2024 study in European Radiology.
- A 2024 report in The Annals of Surgical Oncology noted that mesothelioma patients with more extensive pleural thickening had a higher risk of complications after surgery.
- Pleural thickness after surgery and chemotherapy impacted mesothelioma prognosis in a 2019 report in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. When patients had less pleural thickening, they lived longer.
Doctors can recommend the best treatments to improve your prognosis if you have asbestos pleural thickening and mesothelioma.
Financial Compensation for Mesothelioma & Pleural Thickening
If you have asbestos pleural thickening and mesothelioma, you may qualify for financial compensation to cover your medical bills and other expenses. Asbestos payouts can be a big help since treating this cancer can cost over $400,000.
You may qualify for compensation from:
- Asbestos trust funds: Established by bankrupt asbestos companies, these funds contain over $30 billion for victims and their families. You can pursue trust fund payouts without filing a lawsuit.
- Mesothelioma lawsuits: You may qualify to file personal injury lawsuits against the asbestos companies responsible for your illness. These lawsuits award $1 million or more, and our legal partners can do all the work on your behalf so there’s less stress for you.
- VA benefits: If you developed mesothelioma after military asbestos exposure, you can pursue benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Notable benefits include disability payouts worth nearly $4,000 a month and free or low-cost medical care.
Get our Free Pleural Mesothelioma Guide to see how we can help you pursue compensation for mesothelioma and asbestos pleural thickening.
Get Help for Asbestos Pleural Thickening & Mesothelioma
While pleural thickening isn’t a life-threatening illness, it could be a sign of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Hope has 20+ years of experience helping victims of asbestos-related diseases like pleural thickening and mesothelioma.
Our team is here to:
- Connect you with top doctors and cancer centers
- Help you understand your asbestos-related diagnosis
- Walk you through the process of pursuing compensation
Call (866) 608-8933 today to speak with one of our in-house nurses and Patient Advocates.
Mesothelioma Pleural Thickening FAQs
Is pleural thickening serious?
Only a doctor can determine if pleural thickening is serious.
Pleural thickening is a benign (noncancerous) condition that’s not fatal. However, it could indicate a more serious health problem like mesothelioma.
Pleural thickening shows that there has been damage to the pleura, often from asbestos exposure — which can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma.
What is the pleural thickening life expectancy?
Pleural thickening doesn’t directly impact life expectancy. You can live just as long with pleural thickening as someone without it.
However, if doctors find that pleural thickening is a symptom of mesothelioma, your life expectancy could change since this cancer is aggressive. You’ll need to undergo mesothelioma treatments to live longer.
Contact us now for help finding treatments for mesothelioma pleural thickening that could improve your life expectancy.
What age does pleural thickening occur?
A 2019 Respiratory Research report found that most pleural thickening patients were over 60.
This is because asbestos-related pleural thickening takes 10-50 years to develop after exposure.
Can you cure pleural thickening?
There is no cure for pleural thickening, but many patients don’t require treatment.
Pleural thickening not caused by asbestos typically causes little to no symptoms and won’t threaten your health.
However, if you’ve been diagnosed with pleural thickening related to mesothelioma cancer, you should see a specialist right away so you can start treatment.
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