Peritoneal mesothelioma is a deadly and painful form of cancer that targets the lining of the abdomen. When the cancer has spread, physicians call it diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma.
Peritoneal mesothelioma begins when a person breathes in asbestos fibers, usually as part of their job. Asbestos is a natural mineral, resistant to heat, fire, and electricity. Until the late 1970s, it was widely used in the automotive, building, fireproofing, roofing, and shipbuilding industries. Adhesives, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, paint, and many plastics contained asbestos. Easily released into the air, asbestos fibers are tiny, allowing workers to breathe them into their lungs. The above industries no longer use asbestos. Asbestos removal is a tedious process using protective clothing and respirators.
The asbestos fibers enter the body and move to the digestive system, slicing through the stomach and intestines. In peritoneal mesothelioma, the asbestos fibers puncture the abdominal lining, responsible for secreting lubrication for the organs to process food. A cancerous tumor forms in the abdominal lining.
The latency period for mesothelioma can be up to fifty years with symptoms remaining dormant after exposure. By the time symptoms appear, the peritoneal mesothelioma has usually progressed and spread through the body. Also adding difficulty, the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are common, and with such a long incubation period after exposure, a physician may treat a patient for the wrong illness, such as indigestion or heartburn.
The common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal lumps, abdominal pain, anemia, appetite loss, blood clots, chest pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, fever, fluid retention in the abdominal cavity, constipation, hernia, nausea, obstructions of the bowel, stomach pain, swelling, vomiting, and/or weight loss.
Treatment options for peritoneal mesothelioma depend on the extent the cancer has progressed. Other factors include the patient's age, health, and medical history. Typical treatment options include:
Chemotherapy - The most common treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma, chemotherapy may kill cancerous cells.
Radiation - Radiation therapy may shrink a peritoneal mesothelioma tumor and kill cancer cells.
Surgery - Surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma involves removing portions of the abdominal lining, tumor, and possibly part of the diaphragm.
New treatments for peritoneal mesothelioma include dual therapy, intraoperative photodynamic therapy, immunoaugmentative therapy, gene therapy, and alternative medicine.
An easy cure for peritoneal mesothelioma may be just around the corner. If you have had past exposure to asbestos, get tested immediately for the three types of mesothelioma: peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the abdominal lining), pleural mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining), or pericardial mesothelioma (cancer of the heart lining).
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