Mesothelioma Types
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Mesothelioma Types. There are three
targeted areas that mesothelioma can affect and essentially three
types of malignant mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma affects
the pleural cavity around the lungs and is responsible for a
majority (75%) of all cases diagnosed. Peritoneal
mesothelioma accounts for 10-20% of all cases and affects the
tissues in the abdomen (especially the stomach and
intestines). Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest form
which affects the sac and lining surrounding the
heart.
Pleural Mesothelioma: The Most Frequent Mesothelioma
Type
Pleural mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer
that is also known as malignant pleural
mesothelioma. This type of cancer affects the pleural
sac that surrounds the lungs and is caused by exposure to
asbestos.
The pleural sac contains the lungs and also a small
membrane called the mesothelium. The mesothelium
secretes a fluid that allows the lungs to contract and expand
during breathing.
The inhalation of asbestos causes a build-up of
asbestos fibers inside the lungs.
Due to the microscopic size and sharpness of these
fibers it's possible for them to penetrate the walls of the lung
and enter the pleural cavity.
As these fibers travel from the lung into the
pleural cavity, the sharp strands shred and mutilate the
mesothelium, potentially destroying it and causing cancer.
Peritoneal (Abdominal ) Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma, also known as abdominal mesothelioma,
is a rare form of mesothelioma that accounts for approximately 20%
of all reported mesothelioma cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma
affects the tissue lining the abdomen which is called the
peritoneum, hence the name of this form of the cancer. The
peritoneum protects the contents of the abdomen and is therefore
very important.
| Pleural mesothelioma affects the
pleural cavity around the lungs. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects
the tissues in the abdomen (especially the stomach and intestines).
Pericardial mesothelioma affects the sac and lining surrounding the
heart. |
Pericardial Mesothelioma: The Rarest Form of
Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest form of
mesothelioma and accounts for 5 to 10% of all reported cases.
Pericardial mesothelioma affects the sac and lining surrounding the
heart. There are also benign (or non-cancerous) pleural
diseases that are related to asbestos exposure that are not
malignant (like mesothelioma), and exist only in the pleura.
They can be divided into three groups: plaques, thickening, and
effusions.
From a different perspective, malignant
mesothelioma is generally divided into three histological
categories, or types of cells: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and
biphasic mesothelioma. Within each of these mesothelioma
cancer cell types, subtypes exist. Many mesothelioma patients
display more than one cell type.
| With regard to pleural
mesothelioma, as the asbestos fibers travel from the lung into the
pleural cavity, the sharp asbestos strands shred and mutilate the
mesothelium, potentially destroying it and causing
cancer. |
Epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common cell type,
constituting approximately 50% to 70% of all malignant
mesothelioma. These cells are relatively uniform in shape and
have a tubular pattern with a distinct cell nucleus. The individual
cells are shaped like cubes or multi-sided boxes.
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the least common type
of mesothelioma cancer cell and accounts for approximately 10% to
15% of malignant mesothelioma incidences. These cells
typically have more of an oval, irregular shape and the nucleus of
each cell is not as visible with a microscope as the epithelioid
mesothelioma cancer cells.
| Symptoms of mesothelioma may not
appear until between twenty and fifty years after exposure, which
explains why so many new cases of this form of cancer are currently
being reported. Many people who haven't been in contact with
asbestos for decades are now showing symptoms of this dreadful
disease. |
Approximately 20% to 40% of the mesothelioma cancer cells fall
into the biphasic category, which is combination of the sarcomatoid
and epithelioid types. The biphasic type can occur with the
two types of cells intermixed continuously throughout the tumor, or
with them in specific groupings.
|
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining around
the stomach and intestines and can be just as dangerous and deadly
as pleural mesothelioma. |
The treatment options are basically the same for all three
mesothelioma cancer cell types.
Mesothelioma Types: Conclusion
When discussing mesothelioma
types, the following essentially covers the three main
types of this disease: pleural mesothelioma which
affects the pleural cavity around the lungs, peritoneal
mesothelioma which affects the tissues in the abdomen, and
pericardial mesothelioma which affects the sac and lining
surrounding the heart.
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