Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma – Important Information

The only known cause of mesothelioma, also known as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma when it develops in the peritoneum, is inhalation of toxic asbestos particles. Mesothelioma can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) and develops in the mesothelium, which is a thin protective tissue that surrounds many of the body’s internal organs. Mesothelial tissue is called by different names depending on which organ it is associated with.

When this membranous tissue envelops the lungs it is called the pleura. The peritoneum and pericardium are the names given to the mesothelium surrounding the abdominal cavity and heart respectively. Mesothelioma most commonly develops in the pleura, but is found in the peritoneum in about 15% to 20% of the cases, making it second only to pleural mesothelioma in occurrence. A malignancy found in the peritoneum is called malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Due to the location of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma it is often referred to as abdominal mesothelioma.

Where Does Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma Develop?

After inhaling asbestos fibers they will become lodged in the lungs and is the reason why most cases of mesothelioma develop in lung tissue. However, mesothelial cancer affects other areas such as the peritoneum and pericardium. When it affects the peritoneum it is usually referred to as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. However, it is still unknown as to how it spreads to areas other than the lungs. One theory suggests that the asbestos fibers are transported through the lymph system to their eventual destination. Another theory has asbestos particles being ingested and then taken by way of the intestinal track to these other locations. One other possible theory is that the fibers, after being inhaled, become stuck in mucus located in the trachea or bronchi and eventually swallowed. Once swallowed they can make their way to the abdominal cavity and result in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

Once the fibers become lodged in the membranous abdominal tissue, tumors will eventually form. This is how malignant peritoneal mesothelioma begins its course. As these tumors continue to grow they can eventually spread to the entire abdominal cavity. It can take many decades until symptoms of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma appear. Due to the lengthy time from exposure to symptoms it is usually difficult to diagnose malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, particularly when the victim has not been exposed to asbestos for 20 to 60 years. By the time malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is finally discovered and diagnosed the disease has usually reached such an advanced stage it is fatal within 2 to 4 years.

Symptoms of Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The symptoms of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma are similar to other diseases and for this reason are often misdiagnosed. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include acute abdominal pain, swelling of the abdominal area, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, bowel obstruction, weight loss, breathing problems, and fever. Different patients may have different symptoms due to the nature of the disease, its location and tumor size, the age and health of the patient, and other factors.

Deciding which type of treatment is best for the patient can be difficult because there is no cure. Many forms of treatment are to relieve symptoms only, some of which may be only temporary. Removing the tumor surgically is usually not a viable option because the cancer is usually discovered in the later advanced stages. However, when surgery is an option a small tumor will usually involve removing the tumor as well as part of the abdominal tissue. Larger tumors may require the removal of a lung or a portion of the diaphragm.

Since surgery is usually not a peritoneal mesothelioma treatment option, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the most common courses of treatment. These treatments are not intended to cure the cancer, but are for relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life.

In addition to the above-mentioned treatment methods there are a few experimental therapies that have shown promising results. Because there is no cure, patients have the option to receive these experimental therapies as participants of clinical trials. The clinical trials may consist of various experimental medications or other forms of treatment and offer the patient who suffers with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma hope even in the absence of a cure.

Common Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Even though there is no cure for mesothelioma there are many types of mesothelioma treatment options available to mesothelioma patients, but most of the promising approaches are still experimental. Although no single mesothelioma treatment option stands out as being far and away the most effective, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are the most common.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options: Surgery

Certainly the most common mesothelioma treatment options involve surgery. As far as surgery is concerned there are three types. Surgery can be used as a method to achieve pain relief, as a curative procedure, and as a diagnostic procedure. Curative surgery involves removing as much of the cancer as possible and then hoping that it’s enough to render a cure. Palliative procedures are intended to relieve pain by removing at least a portion of the cancer cells. And diagnostic surgery is for the purpose of identifying and locating mesotheliomas.

The goal of chemotherapy is to kill cancerous cells by way of drugs. Cancer cells multiply very quickly so this type of treatment will only be successful if enough time has not passed that allows cells to spread. Radiation therapy is also designed to kill cancer cells just as chemotherapy. It can also be used to relieve pain.

By signing up for clinical trials a patient may find mesothelioma treatment options that are more effective for them. These are treatments that are still being tested and studied and which may offer improved results, but are not yet available to general patients. The most promising mesothelioma treatment options in the experimental area are immunotherapy, photodynamic treatment, and gene therapy.

There are several popular mesothelioma treatment options that are experimental. The objective of immunotherapy is to trick a person’s immune system into killing the cancer cells. Photodynamic therapy is only affective if the cancer is localized and has not yet metastasized. This experimental therapy causes cancer cells sensitive to a specific type of light and then exposes the cells to this light in an effort to kill them. Gene therapy is one of many experimental mesothelioma treatment options and infects a person’s cancer cells with an altered virus. This causes the cancerous tissue to produce a protein which makes it susceptible to a drug that is not harmful to normal cells.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options: Sponsored Listings

Important Information about the Cause of Mesothelioma

Asbestos inhalation has been the only known cause of mesothelioma for over a century. The cause of mesothelioma for the majority of people who have developed the disease is by way of the workplace. These victims have worked in occupations where they were exposed to this potentially lethal substance, usually unknowingly. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that occurs in the mesothelial tissue, a thin tissue that covers many internal organs. It surrounds the heart, lungs, and other organs. If it occurs in the abdominal mesothelial tissue, also known as the peritoneum, it is called malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Inhaling microscopic asbestos fibers or asbestos dust over a long period of time can lead to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. And the only proven cause of mesothelioma is from the inhalation of asbestos particles.

Even though the use of asbestos has been regulated for several decades there are still new cases of asbestos-related cancer appearing every year. The reason is because many old buildings, schools, and homes that were constructed before these regulations took effect still have asbestos-containing products. So even though we know the cause of mesothelioma, it doesn’t mean we can prevent it from developing in each and every case.

The Cause of Mesothelioma – Breathing Microscopic Asbestos Fibers

Asbestos has been used in the manufacturing of many products including fire-retardant products, insulation, brake linings, acoustic ceiling plaster, roof shingles, and thousands of other items. When asbestos-containing products become disturbed they can release tiny asbestos particles into the air where they can be inhaled. This inhalation is the cause of mesothelioma and other cancerous diseases. The risk of developing cancer is directly related to the total lifetime exposure to these toxic fibers and is greatly increased in people who smoke.

The Actual Cause of Mesothelioma is Not Inhaling Asbestos

Asbestos is apparently not technically the actual cause of mesothelioma or other forms of lung cancer, but a promoter of the disease. When asbestos fibers are inhaled deeply into the lungs the body’s immune system makes an attempt to eliminate them from the body. However, instead of eliminating the offending material, the immune system cells will die which causes the body to produce scar tissue surrounding the dead cells. The scar tissue continues to develop for many years until there is enough scar tissue to cause the lungs to stop functioning. This is the true cause of mesothelioma.

It is not the actual asbestos fibers that are the cause of mesothelioma cancer, but the result of abnormal tissue cells dividing and multiplying without control. Cancer cells can invade tissues that are in close proximity and spread by way of the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other areas of the body. The most common location where mesothelioma develops is in the mesothelial tissue surrounding the lungs and abdominal cavity. Additionally, it can develop in the heart mesothelial tissue, but this is rare.

The major problem with mesothelioma is that it can take anywhere from 15 to 60 years before the first symptoms occur. By the time it is finally diagnosed it has had a long time to spread. For this reason, mesotheliomas caused by the inhalation of asbestos particles are generally fatal within 2 to 4 years after diagnosis. Plus, because of this extended latency period it is usually difficult to prove the cause of mesothelioma. There are many different types of treatment available, but most are for diagnostic purposes or to relieve some of the pain and symptoms. Currently, there is no cure for mesothelioma. The only way to prevent it is to know the cause of mesothelioma and avoid products that contain asbestos.

The National Cancer Institute regularly conducts clinical trials in the hopes of eventually finding a cure. Some of these therapies have shown great promise, but are not yet available to the general public. However, it is possible to use a non-standard mesothelioma treatment option by participating in these clinical trials.

Now that you understand the cause of mesothelioma it makes it a lot easier to avoid breathing asbestos fibers. If you want to avoid being exposed to asbestos in your home or workplace it is important to know how to recognize products that may contain this toxic mineral. A few products will be clearly marked as containing asbestos, but most products will not be marked. The only way to know for sure is to have a suspected asbestos-containing product examined by an expert. An experienced inspector can take samples of the product and have them examined in a lab. The only way to tell for sure if asbestos is found in any particular product is by looking at it under a microscope. The best way to eliminate the cause of mesothelioma is to know where it comes from and how to avoid it.