Peritoneal Mesothelioma (Stomach/Abdominal Mesothelioma)

The mesothelioma cancer which is caused by exposure to asbestos dust and particles and attacks the abdominal cavity is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. This is the second most common type of mesothelioma which strikes people. As this type affects the peritoneum i.e. the lining of the abdominal cavity, it is known as malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

An Introduction to Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The peritoneum or the cell membrane surrounding the abdominal cavity provides lubrication for the stomach and intestines so that they can move and function without any friction to process the food and carry on normal body functions. However, exposure to asbestos causes abnormal growth of cells in the peritoneum which later becomes cancerous. This leads to abnormal functioning of the cells which results in painful symptoms and problems. Peritoneal mesothelioma can also affect the liver, spleen or the bowels.

It has been found that it is men who are more afflicted with this deadly cancer than women. One of the reasons for this is that men work at the factories and mills where they are directly exposed to asbestos. Also, it is in their later ages that men are diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma cancer. Current statistics show that women make up lesser than 1/5 of the total mesothelioma patients.

Symptoms to Recognize Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Recognizing malignant peritoneal mesothelioma cancer in its early stages is not so easy. The reason being that most of the symptoms resemble that of flu such as abdominal pains and fever. It is only when these symptoms persist and become more painful that proper tests are carried out and the cancer is detected.

Some of the symptoms are:

Stomach pain
Lower abdominal pain
Difficulty with bowel movements
Weight loss
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Abdominal swelling
Ascites or accumulation of fluid in abdominal cavity
Swelling of the feet
Anemia
Due to late diagnosis and careless attitude towards the disease, this cancer has high mortality rate. The survival rate for this cancer is only 5% as most of the people are diagnosed 20-50 years after their first exposure to asbestos. It is a known fact that most of the people die within 16-18 months after the first symptoms appear.

Ways to Diagnose Peritoneal Mesothelioma

For proper diagnosis of mesothelioma, it is necessary to run some tests which will prove if the patient is really suffering from this deadly cancer. Due to long forgotten exposure to asbestos, many people forget to mention it to the doctor that they have been exposed to this toxic material which makes the diagnosis easy.

In many cases, it is only after the patients go for a test when the pain becomes unbearable or the abdominal swelling becomes too much.
Some of the tests taken to diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma are: X-ray or CT scan to check out the affected area for cancerous growth of cells
To make sure that the cells are cancerous, biopsy is carried out in which the affected cells are tested under a microscope to detect peritoneal mesothelioma
A new method for detecting pleural mesothelioma is Histochemistry. In this method, the types of compounds generated by mesothelioma cancer cells are evaluated which can help in the diagnosis of mesothelioma
Immunochemistry is another method by which antibodies are studied to detect mesothelioma
Two new blood tests known as SMR Protein and Osteopontin Gycoprotein are also being employed to diagnose mesothelioma
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment

As there is no cure for this disease, treatment is the only way to get rid of this deadly cancer. Treatment in the early stages of diagnosis can help the patient in full recovery. However, in later stages of the disease, treatment can help in improving the quality of patient’s life and providing relief from painful symptoms.

Due to vast development in the medical fields, innovative methods of treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma are being worked out. However, not all of these treatments have yielded a 100% result. Some of these treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and drug therapy and pain management along with several experimental clinical trials for patients.

In some cases, Ascites or fluid accumulating the chest is also removed through surgery to alleviate the pain. In some cases, the cancerous tissues are also removed from the abdomen or the gastrointestinal tract through surgery. Surgery is carried out based on the locations and extent of cancer.

One of the newer treatments is multimodality treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma which is becoming popular as it combines two or more ways to treat the cancer. This includes Cytoreductive or debulking surgery with intraperitoneal chemotherapy or with Intra-Peritoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC), which helps to remove the visible tumor. It has also been administered with radiation to some patients which gave beneficial results.

Even though new treatments are being worked out, not all of them are beneficial. On the other hand, some of them also pose side effects and negative outcomes which make them unreliable. However, it has been established that early diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma can always be treated.