Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen, or peritoneum and is the second most common form of mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer of the serous membranes. These membranes enclose a number of organs throughout the midsection of the body, including the abdomen. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the serous membranes of the lungs.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Cancer
Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is found in 10 to 20% of the mesothelioma patients. The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. For peritoneal mesothelioma, it is not clearly understood how asbestos fibers become lodged in the abdomen's serous lining. It is possible that the asbestos fibers are carried from the lungs into the blood stream, after being broken into smaller pieces in the lungs, and become lodged in the abdomen lining.
A more plausible cause is that the asbestos fibers were ingested with food or drink. Most asbestos mining or processing facilities had clouds of asbestos fibers that were constantly surrounding the area. These fibers could have settled on the workers' food. Also, it is well established that many of the workers' clothing became infiltrated with asbestos dust. This dust could have contaminated the workers' kitchens as they arrived home with the dirty clothing. Once asbestos becomes lodged in the abdomen, the chronic inflammation process leading to cancerous growths is similar to that occurring in pleural mesothelioma.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms
As cancerous tumors start to grow in the peritoneum, fluid begins to quickly accumulate in the abdominal area. The fluid causes swelling and discomfort and leads to the first common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma - upper abdominal pain. Less common symptoms include cough and shortness of breath and many patients have symptoms 4 to 6 months before being diagnosed.
Peritoneal mesothelioma patients can exhibit all three kinds of mesothelioma cancer cells: epithelioid mesothelioma, sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma. The prognosis depends on which type of cancer cells are present. It is thought that patients with biphasic mesothelioma cancer cells have a shorter life expectancy than those who have epithelioid or sarcomatoid.
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