For the past several decades, information about mesothelioma had been scarce and inconclusive, making this form of cancer one of the most indefinite and unspecified diseases in modern history. As physicians, scientists and various medical research experts learn more about this fatal disease, we’ve been able to determine that the greatest asset we have in battling this disease is information. Because mesothelioma carries such a great latency period, this disease is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms are so similar to more common and treatable illnesses.