Peritoneal Mesothelioma Cancer

A Description Of The Disease Peritoneal Mesothelioma Cancer Including Its Symptoms, Treatments And Its Prognosis.

The peritoneum is the extremely thin membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and that is made of mesothelial cells. Various other bodily linings are also made of mesothelial cells, and, when these cells become infected with cancer, the resulting diseases are called mesotheliomas. It therefore follows that peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is that type of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells of the peritoneum. The peritoneum lines the inside of the entire abdominal cavity, thus encapsulating organs like the bladder, ovaries and uterus. Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer can develop anywhere on the peritoneum and can develop at any time during a woman's life, although older women are far more prone to it.

peritoneal mesothelioma cancer also appears to be idiopathic, that is, without any specific cause, although there is some indication that certain strains may be hereditary. The initial symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma cancer can be extremely vague and can include such generic things as loss of appetite, weight loss and abdominal pain that the disease is often misdiagnosed or the symptoms merely ignored. This is extremely unfortunate as, by the time that peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is properly diagnosed, it has often metastasized to other organs and is far too advanced to be treated successfully. The various treatments that are available for correctly diagnosed peritoneal mesothelioma cancer include surgery, palliative treatments and chemotherapy.

The success of the various treatments does, however, depend on how far the disease has spread and also on the patient's general health. Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is, however, not a disease that is usually survived, and most patients live for between 12 and 25 months after an initial diagnosis. It is extremely important that peritoneal mesothelioma cancer be diagnosed early, and women should both undergo regular abdominal examinations and schedule a doctor's appointment at the first sign of any abnormal symptoms that could possibly be indicative of the disease.