Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma refers to a variety of mesothelioma which occurs in the pericardium, or lining of the chest and abdominal cavity. Many of the body's internal structures have linings such as these which assist in the movement of body organs by lubricating them. Obstruction or barriers that develop in these areas can dramatically affect the normal motions of organs or other body structures. Needless to say, cancer in this region can be very serious.
The only cause associated with peritoneal mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. While there have been cases in which the patient has no asbestos history, it remains only known associated cause. The precise route by which the asbestos fiber would irritate the chest cavity is thus far unclear, however cancer specialists have a fairly good idea. Asbestos, just as it can be inhaled, it can be accidentally ingested into the digestive system. The asbestos fiber is extremely durable, so it is unlikely the body is able to break down the particles by normal digestive means. Foreign substances such as these are typically expelled through waste or other digestive methods. Because the fibers are pin-shaped and considering their durability, it is likely they become lodged in lower digestive organs. It is here where they affect the peritoneum. The lodged fibers cause a chronic irritation of the surrounding tissue, leading to harmful scar-tissue growth. It is within this scar tissue that the tumor develops.
Treatment, with regards to peritoneal mesothelioma specifically, is limited to surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment. Mesothelioma has no cure and typically carries a poor prognosis. Therefore, treatment programs are typically administered to palliative ends, or for the purpose making the patient more comfortable and lessening pain. Surgery may be possible to curative ends in cases of early detection, but early detection is often difficult for mesothelioma. Typically the cancer will not develop until many years after asbestos exposure, sometimes accompanied by very few symptoms. These two factors complicate the ability to find the tumor in an early stage. Chemotherapy and radiation will also be frequently used in the treatment of mesothelioma. Any of these treatments may be used unilaterally towards treating the cancer or in unison with other programs. Often, surgery will be more realistic if radiation or chemotherapy can restrict the cancer to a particular region.