Understanding The Reality Of Peritoneal Mesothelioma

By Tom Addison


Peritoneal mesothelioma is a type of cancer that appears in the abdomen. It concerns the destruction of the membrane that protects the intestine and provides fluids to lubricate organs for proper functioning.

The peritoneum consists of two sections namely the visceral and parietal peritoneum. The part that shields the internal organs is called the visceral peritoneum. This section is also the part that forms the bigger part of the intestinal area. The parietal peritoneum is the section that shield the abdominal opening.

Typical symptoms of this kind of cancer are swelling and abdominal pain because of the fluid buildup inside the abdomen. Fever, abnormal blood clotting, bowel movement obstruction, and anemia are additional symptoms. In cases where the cancer has spread further than just the mesothelium, symptoms such as a swollen face or neck, pain, and difficulty to swallow are present.

This cancer presents itself in two ways namely a wet or dry form. With the dry form a number of tiny masses are observed or one significant centrally located mass with hardly any or no abdominal fluid. The wet form have abdominal fluids present and lumps are widely spread with no significant large masses of lumps at one particular location present.

In the instance where the wet category is evident, paracentesis is performed to drain the fluids. During this procedure a needle is used to drain the abdominal fluids. Unfortunately these fluids do not contribute much to the diagnosing of this cancer. The only suitable and accurate way to diagnose this cancer is by taking a tissue biopsy and analyze it carefully.

The cause of peritoneal mesothelioma is the microscopic asbestos fibers that end up in the peritoneal. Theses fibers can enter the abdomen in two significant ways. This can happen by indigestion and end up in the abdomen through the digestion process. The other way is through the lymph nodules or lungs when the microscopic asbestos fibers are inhaled.




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