Which of these statements about pleural tumors is/are true?

B. Exposure to asbestos dust is causally related to the development of malignant mesothelioma

DISCUSSION: Pleural involvement by metastatic disease is much more common than primary pleural tumors. Patients with localized benign pleural mesotheliomas may have symptoms of arthralgia, clubbing of the fingers, or fever, which usually disappear after excisional surgery. The evidence relating industrial exposure to asbestosis and malignant pleural mesothelioma is quite strong. Excisional surgery for malignant mesothelioma is usually only palliative. Most patients succumb within 1 to 2 years of the diagnosis, regardless of the kind of treatment they receive.