Peritoneal Mesothelioma
There are several forms of mesothelioma cancer including pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma, sometimes referred to as abdominal mesothelioma, develops in the mesothelial tissue surrounding the lungs and accounts for approximately 70% to 75% of all mesothelioma cases. Next on the list is peritoneal mesothelioma which accounts for roughly 20% to 30% of all diagnosed cases and affects the mesothelial tissue of the abdominal cavity. The remaining 5% includes cancer that affects the mesothelium (thin layer of tissue surrounding the internal organs of the body) of the heart (pericardial mesothelioma) and other organs.
If sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells are present, which is the case in about 10% to 20% of all mesothelioma patients, the prognosis will be poorer. This type of mesothelioma is more aggressive than other types, and patients with sarcomatoid mesothelioma will generally respond poorly to treatment. This is because sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells will be more resistant to all types of treatments including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include pain in the abdominal region, lumps or masses in the abdominal area, distention of the abdomen along with increased abdominal size, abdominal fluid buildup, unexplained weight loss, digestive problems, fever, anemia, fatigue, as well as other mesothelioma symptoms. By the time peritoneal mesothelioma is diagnosed in most victims, the disease is in its later stages, usually resulting in a very poor peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis. One of the most common symptoms of late-stage peritoneal mesothelioma is bowel obstruction.
For peritoneal mesothelioma treatment to be most effective, it is important to diagnose the disease as early as possible. This means watching for malignant mesothelioma symptoms and getting checked out medically if any symptoms do appear. However, there’s more to it than just waiting for symptoms to appear and then getting a medical examination. It is important to be proactive. If you were exposed to asbestos, it is vital that you get examined for peritoneal mesothelioma on a regular basis, even if you have no symptoms. This will make it possible for you to begin any necessary mesothelioma treatment as early as possible, giving you the best possible prognosis and longest life expectancy. Unfortunately, most patients show symptoms of the disease 6 months to 2 years before they are actually diagnosed with the disease. This means that treatment will not start as early it should have been, making the prognosis worse.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment
There are several options when it involves treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma. A couple of the most common treatment options include surgery and chemotherapy and have proven to be fairly ineffective. The current choice of treatment is a combination of these options, including surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible and chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. However, the long-term prognosis can vary tremendously because it is not always possible to surgically remove the entire tumor.
New peritoneal mesothelioma treatment methods are being tested in clinical trials and offer improvements when compared to older treatment methods. In one such clinical trial it has been shown that pemetrexed is an effective chemotherapy agent. Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma can become a part of these clinical trials and experimental treatments which offer hope of a better prognosis.
Some studies have shown that males with peritoneal mesothelioma live only 7 months on average once they’ve been diagnosed with the disease. However, some have live as long as 8 years or more. As far as females are concerned, the average life expectancy after diagnosis is about 9 months, but some women have lived as long as 4 years. The earlier the disease is diagnosed and the treatment started, the better the prognosis. It should also be noted that mesothelioma lawyers can be a big help in getting victims compensated for their exposure to asbestos, which can go toward expensive mesothelioma treatments.
