Mesothelioma is a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos in the workplace or home. There are three variations of the disease and all are aggressive and deadly. In this article, we take a look at peritoneal Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is referred to as the "asbestos" cancer because it is a associated with exposure to the toxic substance. The three forms are pleural, pericardial and peritoneal. Pleural refers to cancer in the upper chest area such as around the lungs. Pericardial refers to abnormal growths around the heart area and then there is peritoneal Mesothelioma.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma refers to cancer growths in the lining of the abdomen. The lining is known as the mesothelium, which is where the name comes from. Roughly 20 percent of all Mesothelioma cases are found in this part of the body, making it the second most common form diagnosed in patients behind the pleural version.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is very hard to diagnose. It reveals symptoms of pain in the chest and abdomen area. This results in diagnosis running from gallbladder disease to hernias and beyond. Only after multiple imaging scans and indepth biopsies is the cancer usually successfully diagnosed. The question is then whether there is time to treat it.
All forms of Mesothelioma are difficult to treat because they grow latently and yet are very aggressive. Most are only discovered in the latest stages when treatment is difficult. That being said, one can expect an aggressive treatment plan with the focus on radiation and chemotherapy as well as potential aggressive surgical intervention. As with most cancers, the rate of success is highly dependent on when the cancer is discovered. The earlier the diagnosis, the better chance of surviving it. Mesothelioma, unfortunately, has a poor survivability rate with less than 10 percent of patients surviving more than five years.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a very rare form of cancer. That is good news as it can be a very deadly version as well.
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