Malignant pleural mesothelioma looks vastly different from primary lung cancer on imaging.

On a CT scan, mesothelioma characteristically appears as thickened, irregular, or nodular pleural tissue that forms a continuous rind or shell wrapping around the outside of the lung.

Mesothelioma is not in the lung tissue itself. Just like the other organs where it occurs, it develops in the lining, which in this case is the pleura.

U.S. Coast Guard ships built since 1991 do not have asbestos, but older vessels had plenty of it, just like the rest of the country at that time.

Beyond the ship history, a spot inside the lung tissue is not mesothelioma because mesothelioma is a disease of the outer lining. You can keep it on your radar if you want, but today, this scan absolutely doesn't show it.