Peritoneal Mesothelioma Information

PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA

(an information for health provider)

Peritoneal mesothelioma is defined as an uncommon form of mesothelioma cancer. It is defined Peritoneal Mesothelioma because it appears as a tumor in the peritoneum membrane of the abdomen.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma occurs in people with a history of exposure to asbestos. The disease is exceptionally rare in those who have not been exposed. It is most common in males between 40 and 50.

Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma are abdominal pains, loss of appetite and nausea, swelling of the abdomen, malaise, weakness, cough, dyspnoea, weight loss and fever.
Obstruction of the bowel (or hindered breathing) due to tumor growth may be possible.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma can be detected first by X-ray or CT scan conducted after a patient has complained of abdominal symptoms and doctors will perform a peritoneoscopy and biopsy.

There are two general types of treatments for Peritoneal Mesothelioma; systemic and localized. Systemic treatments are designed to combat the cancer through out the whole body (earlier stages or late stage). Localized treatments are to eliminate the cancer by either surgery or radiotherapy and only treat area of mesothelioma immediately.

When the peritoneal mesothelioma is detected and the cancer is growing up, it can be removed by surgery called peritonectomy. There is a high post surgery mortality rate for this operation and of course many centers will not perform peritonectomy.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is often diagnosed in end stage when a person is too ill to handle intensive chemotherapy and the goal of treatment is palliative or designed primarily to reduce its symptoms such as pain, discomfort, and weigh loss.

One source of pain and discomfort in late peritoneal mesothelioma is fluid building up inside the abdomen. This fluid or peritoneal effusion can be drained by doctor through a method of abdominal paracentesis.

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