Older homes and buildings may contain asbestos. In many cases, it's more dangerous to remove the asbestos than it is to leave it intact. Breaking up asbestos may cause fibers to become airborne, where they can be inhaled. Consult experts trained to detect asbestos in your home. These experts may test the air in your home to determine whether the asbestos is a risk to your health. Don't attempt to remove asbestos from your home — hire a qualified expert. The Environmental Protection Agency offers advice on its Web site for dealing with asbestos in the home.

Follow all safety precautions in your workplace, such as wearing protective equipment. You may also be required to shower and change out of your work clothes before taking a lunch break or going home. Talk to your doctor about other precautions you can take to protect yourself from asbestos exposure.

No alternative medicine treatments have proved helpful in treating mesothelioma. But complementary and alternative mesothelioma treatments may help control signs and symptoms. Discuss options with your doctor.

Mesothelioma can cause pressure within your chest that can make you feel as though you're always short of breath. Breathlessness can be distressing. Your doctor may recommend using an oxygen mask or taking medications to make you more comfortable, but often these aren't enough. Combining your doctor's recommended treatments with complementary and alternative approaches may help you feel better.

Alternative treatments that have shown some promise in helping people cope with breathlessness include:

• Acupuncture. Acupuncture uses thin needles inserted at precise points into your skin.
• Breath training. A nurse or physical therapist can teach you breathing techniques to use when you feel breathless. Sometimes you may feel breathless and begin to panic. Implementing these techniques may help you feel more in control of your breathing.
• Relaxation exercises. Slowly tensing and relaxing different muscle groups may help you feel more at ease and breathe easier. Your doctor may refer you to a therapist who can teach you relaxation exercises so that you can do them on your own.
• Sitting near a fan. Directing a fan to your face may help ease the sensation of breathlessness.

Complications from spreading cancer

As pleural mesothelioma spreads in the chest, it puts pressure on the structures in that area. This can cause complications, such as:

* Difficulty breathing
* Chest pain
* Difficulty swallowing
* Swelling caused by pressure on the large vein that leads from your upper body to your heart (superior vena cava syndrome)
* Pain caused by pressure on the nerves and spinal cord
* Accumulation of fluid in the chest (pleural effusion), which can compress the lung nearby and make breathing difficult

Death

Mesothelioma that progresses can lead to death. People who die of mesothelioma usually die from related complications, such as lung failure, heart problems, stroke and other causes.