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What Is Peritoneal Mesothelioma? |
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Also known as “diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma”, peritoneal mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer that attacks the mesothelioma protective membrane in the lining of the patient’s abdomen. The second most common form of mesothelioma, after pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma affects approximately 1 out of every 5 mesothelioma cancer patients.
How is peritoneal mesothelioma contracted?
Accounting for approximately 2 out of every 3 sufferers, the most widely known way in which peritoneal mesothelioma is contracted is via exposure to asbestos. This asbestos exposure can either be from having inhaled asbestos fibers or because of the fibers having penetrated the patient’s skin via the pores. The fiber will then be digested into the lining of the patient’s stomach, where it will remain for a prolonged period of time. Over time, this will then manifest itself into a cancer tumor in the stomach lining of the patient – peritoneal mesothelioma. Because of the manner in which most patients contract peritoneal mesothelioma cancer, and due to potential ongoing cost of treating the illness, it is strongly recommended that sufferers of this form of cancer seek the advice of a lawyer at as early a stage as possible to see if they can be compensated for their illness.
What are the major symptoms?
The major symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma cancer include weight loss, painful swelling of the abdomen (which, when combined with the weight loss, may give the look of an expanding waste-line but with actual weight loss), loss of appetite, general tiredness, nausea, fever, and bowel problems.
How is peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosed?
Typically peritoneal mesothelioma will be diagnosed either via an X-ray of the patient or via a CT scan of the infected area. However, even where a physician may suspect that a patient is suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma, they’ll need to undertake a biopsy of the infected cells.
Can peritoneal mesothelioma be treated?
Treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma cancer will vary depending on the stage of the illness, the age of the patient and the chances of recovery. However, traditionally, treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma is either: (1) Surgery; (2) Radiation therapy; or (3) Chemotherapy treatment. More recently, more aggressive forms of treatment have been tried, including gene therapy, but at this time these forms of treatment are very much in their infancy.
Is peritoneal mesothelioma fatal?
If left untreated, peritoneal mesothelioma will nearly always be fatal. However, with ongoing continued research, more and more cases are now being treated effectively. Nonetheless, due to the age of most patients, which typically averages somewhere between 50 and 70, it is currently difficult to tell whether or not the treatments are successful over a long-term period. Thus, in order to minimize the risk of peritoneal mesothelioma becoming fatal, it is vital that a sufferer seek treatment as soon as they become suspicious that something may be wrong with them. To assist in this endeavor, if you believe you or a loved one may have been exposed to an environment which could lead to peritoneal mesothelioma cancer, you should make yourself as familiar as possible with the illness and current trends in how to deal with the illness. |
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1.888.604.3438 |
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