Treatment for Abdominal Mesothelioma Cancer

Surgery is usually considered for abdominal mesothelioma to remove the tumor tissue. However, if the tumor mass has spread (metastasized) too far or to sites such as blood vessels, it may not be possible to use a mesothelioma treatment with surgery, and other options such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be an alternative.

The Rate of Abdominal Mesothelioma Cancer Cases

Between 100 and 500 cases of abdominal mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Abdominal/peritoneal mesothelioma is not as common as pleural mesothelioma(chest), and it happens to men and women with equal frequency. Abdominal mesothelioma is nearly always traceable to asbestos cancer exposure.

Symptoms of Abdominal Mesothelioma Cancer

Symtoms
1-ascites - 66%
2-increased abdominal girth - 70%
3-abdominal pain - 63%
4-leukocytosis (elevated white blood cell count) - 50%
5-abdominal mass - 40%
6-digestive disturbances - 33%
7-fever - 20%
8-weight loss - 44%
9-thrombocytosis (increased platelets in the blood) - 23%

MESOTELIOMA PLEURAL

El mesotelioma pleural es el más frecuente, siendo su incidencia 9 veces superior al del mesotelioma peritoneal. Es más frecuente en hombres que en mujeres, siendo la edad de aparición de los síntomas entre 50 a 70 años con un período de latencia de 20 a 40 años. En un 80% de los casos su etiología es la exposición a polvo de asbestos. Otras posibles causas de mesotelioma son la radioterapia y las vacunas para polio contaminadas con el virus Sv40 del simio. El mesotelioma pleural constituye aproximadamente el 3% de las neoplasias malignas de pleura, y cuando se realiza el diagnóstico su curso es rápida e invariablemente fatal, usualmente durante los dos siguientes años.
La presentación clínica más frecuente es dolor torácico difuso, que ocasionalmente puede ser de tipo pleurítico o irradiado al hombro acompañado de efusiones pleurales. La disnea, tos, debilidad, malestar y fatiga aparecen usualmente en etapas más avanzadas de la enfermedad. En el 89% de los casos, el electrocardiograma es anormal siendo las anormalidades más frecuente la taquicardia sinusal (42%), arritmias ventriculares o auriculares (17%) y bloqueo de una rama del haz de His (30%)

General Discussion

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the membrane that covers and protects various internal organs of the body (mesothelium). The mesothelium is composed of two layers of specialized cells known as mesothelial cells. One layer directly surrounds an organ; the other forms a protective sac around the organ. The most common form of mesothelioma affects the membrane or sac that lines the lungs (pleura). Other common sites include the membrane lining the stomach (peritoneum) and the membrane lining the heart (pericardium).The term "cancer" refers to a group of diseases characterized by abnormal, uncontrolled cellular growth (e.g., mesothelial cells) that invades surrounding tissues and may spread (metastasize) to distant bodily tissues or organs via the bloodstream, the lymphatic system, or other means. Different forms of cancer, including mesothelioma, may be classified based upon the cell type involved, the specific nature of the malignancy, the tissues or organs affected, and the disease's clinical course. Symptoms of mesothelioma vary depending upon the location, type and stage of the cancer. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of cases of mesothelioma result from exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until up to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. However, after symptoms began apparent, mesothelioma may rapidly progress to cause life-threatening complications.