Mesothelioma Medical Glossary

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DECORTATION: removal of the external layer of an organ.

DEFENDANT: the asbestos companies that you are suing for damages.

DERMAL: referring to the skin. For example, dermal absorption means passing through the skin.

DIAGNOSIS: The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness.

DIAPHRAGM: muscular, membranous partition that separates the abdominal and thoracic cavities.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: the determination of which two or more diseases with similar symptoms is the one from which a patient is suffering based on an analysis of the clinical data.

DIFFUSE: not limited or localized; widely distributed

DISEASE: illness or sickness often characterized by typical problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs).

DOSE: the amount of a substance to which a person is exposed over some time period. Dose is a measurement of exposure. In general, the greater the dose, the greater the likelihood of an effect. An "exposure dose" is how much of a substance is encountered in the environment. An "absorbed dose" is the amount of a substance that actually got into the body through the eyes, skin, stomach, intestines, or lungs.

DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP: the relationship between the amount of exposure (dose) and the resulting changes in body function or health (response).

DYSPNEA: difficult, painful breathing or shortness of breath. One of the early symptoms of mesothelioma in the pleura due to the accumulation of fluid in the chest.

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