Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a form of cancer in the lining of the human abdominal cavity and is less common than the pleural form of mesothelioma. The Peritoneal mesothelioma usually comprises of approximately 1/5 to 1/3 of the total number of mesothelioma cases which are diagnosed.

According to the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database, these peritoneal mesothelioma diagnoses are approximately 54.7% male versus 45.3% female and the median age being usually between 65 to 69 years of age.

The latency period for peritoneal mesothelioma appears to be much shorter for individuals exposed to asbestos and with symptoms appearing genereally 20 to 30 years after the initial exposure rather than the 30 to 40 year latency period which is more commonly associated with pleural mesothelioma.

Is There Staging for Peritoneal Mesothelioma

There are currently no established staging systems for peritoneal mesothelioma and if peritoneal mesothelioma disease is staged it is quite normally done in accordance with the TNM system which is the most common general cancer staging system. This staging system generally refers to the status of the tumor, lymph nodes and the metastases. There are general categories that also may be somewhat helpful in determining the stage.

Doctors divide mesothelioma into different categories based on what part of the mesothelium is affected by cancer. Mesothelioma disease that will occur in the tissue that surrounds the lung (pleura mesothelioma) is called pleural mesothelioma and is the most common form of cancer.

In rare cases mesothelioma disease can also occur in the lining around the heart and also in the lining around the testicles of men.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

It is a very common misconception that mesothelioma disease is a type of primary lung cancer but it is not. Mesothelioma disease is a cancer of the serous membranes which enclose a number of the organs spread throughout the mid-area of the human body including the abdomen. The most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma and it affects the serous membranes of the lungs.

Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is found in 10% to 20% of the mesothelioma disease patients. The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos fibers are a very durable substabce and cannot be eliminated through the body's natuarl processes.

A more probable cause of mesothelioma disease is that the asbestos fibers were ingested. Asbestos mining and processing facilities had constant clouds of asbestos fibers floating around their properties. These asbestos fibers settled on the food of the workers and people living close by.

It is also well established that many of the clothing the workers wore became severely infiltrated with asbestos dust particles. This asbestos dust contaminated the kitchens of the workers while they were at home with their asbestos infested clothing.

Once the fibres lodged in the peritoneum the chronic inflammation process leading to cancerous growths was similar to what occurred in pleural mesothelioma.