Peritoneal Mesothelioma
When a person has worked in a mesothelioma filled environment at some point in his life then there is a great chance of that person getting afflicted with mesothelioma. This disease mostly happens to those who have spend some time working in jobs like shipyards, plumbing industry, electrical insulation factories and construction workers. The asbestos fibers are microscopic in size and these can get inhaled or ingested and get lodged in the lining around vital body organs. These microscopic particles can develop into cancer with time and it can take as long as 30-40 years for the first symptoms of mesothelioma to appear.
While mesothelioma of the lungs, pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma that affects the abdominal muscles is the second most common form of this cancer. When the asbestos fibers are either inhaled and reach the peritoneal cavity through the lymph node, or when the fibers are ingested and get embedded into the peritoneum and peritoneal cavity, the cancer takes root. The fibers can further develop into cancerous mesothelioma tumors that can spread over the abdominal cavity and other organs too.
Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Similar to all other types of mesothelioma, this cancer can also lay hidden in the body for up to 5 decades before the symptoms start to show and by that time the cancer is already in its advanced stage. As peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the abdomen, most of the patients experience severe pain in the stomach; they might also suffer from weight loss, bowel obstruction, weakness, vomiting, fever, and loss of appetite. The abdominal lining can also fill up with fluid and swell abnormally. The symptoms can vary depending on the size of tumors and their presence at particular spots in the abdominal lining.
Treatment of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Once the cancer is diagnosed by an oncologist, the treatment is decided based on the stage of the mesothelioma. In most of the cases the doctor will suggest treating the mesothelioma with radiation therapy or chemotherapy, directed straight at the tumors. The chemotherapy technique for peritoneal mesothelioma involves intra-peritoneal chemo where the chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the abdomen. Different drugs might be used according to the condition of the tumor. If the doctors find it beneficial to the health of the patient they might also choose to remove a part of the abdominal lining that contains the cancerous cells.
You can find out more about peritoneal mesothelioma, mesothelioma treatment options and information about legal cases involving mesothelioma by browsing through www.mesotheliomadoctorsgroup.com.