Peritoneal Mesothelioma – What Is Peritoneal Mesothelioma?

When mesothelioma affects the peritonium, it is identified as peritoneal mesothelioma. The peritonium is a membrane that lines the abdominal area of our body. Peritoneal mesothelioma represents a small number of all mesothelioma instances at about 30%. Patients that suffer from peritoneal mesothelioma are frequently found to have been exposed to asbestos over a period of time in the past.

How long an exposure to asbestos to get mesothelioma is not known. Symptoms of this cancer mostly deal with the abdominal area such as lumps, swelling and pain. Almost all patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma will lose their lives to it in the end.

Researchers focus on improving the quality of the patients life because there is no cure to be had. The cells of the peritonium membrane are affected in a way that is not clear by asbestos fibers. The cells begin to divide at a extremely high rate causing the membrane to thicken.

Fluids start to build up in the abdominal area. Treatments involve cytoreductive surgery along with the draining of excess fluid in the abdomen area. Aggressive radiation and chemotherapy frequently follow after such measures.

The dividing cells are eradicated with the use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There is also the alternative of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in such instances. While there have been cases of patients surviving more than a decade, those are very uncommon with the majority patients having a lifespan of about one year give or take a few months. The lifespan very much depends on the kind of treatment undergone, the success of the treatment and the stage at which the cancer was caught. That said, it’s not possible to foretell how any one patient will do.

The majority of patients however, are typically too far along for radiation and chemotherapy to be effective. Improving the patients quality of life is concentrated on in cases where the peritoneal mesothelioma is in advanced stages.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma as well as Pericardial Mesothelioma are merely 2 of numerous articles by the author. Shan Durai owns a website totally on the subject of mesothelioma. For extra information on mesothelioma on top of the types of mesothelioma, please click on the links highlighted.