Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive cancer that affects the mesothelium, protective membrane on the lungs, heart and other internal organs. It is divided into subcategories based on several factors, including disease progression, the cancer cell type involved, and location of primary cancerous tumors. This article explains the three types of mesothelioma based on the latter factor, known as pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal and pericardial.

Mesothelioma Subcategories:

While mesothelioma can spread throughout your body as you go, usually begins in one central place. The three types of mesothelioma based on their location are as follows: 

Pleural mesothelioma: This disease affects the pleura, a segment of the mesothelium that covers and protects the lungs. It is the most common form of mesothelioma, accounting for approximately 75% of diagnosed cases. The symptoms of this disease are a chronic cough, chest pain and shortness of breath.

Peritoneal mesothelioma: Up to 20% of cases of mesothelioma are peritoneal mesothelioma. This disease attacks the peritoneum, a protective membrane over the abdomen. Symptoms of this form of mesothelioma include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and digestive problems.

Pericardial Mesothelioma: This is the rarest form of mesothelioma, accounting for only 5% of cases. This disease affects the pericardium, which is part of the mesothelium that covers and protects the heart. The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma include persistent chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath and fatigue.

When a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is important for physicians to identify the subtype that he or she is suffering. This knowledge may affect the treatment options that doctors recommend. For example, different types of mesothelioma can present different types of surgical options, or respond differently to treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy.

What is Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, usually associated with previous exposure to asbestos. Signs and symptoms of the disease include, among other things, shortness of breath and rapid weight loss in patients with unexpected Mesothelioma, nutrients in the bloodstream can not always be absorbed resulting in malnutrition and weight loss.

Apart from Mesothelioma, these people can acquire asbestosis, a noncancerous lung disease and other forms of lung cancer, cancer of the larynx and kidney. There are treatments that are used to maintain patient comfort, but there is currently no cure for mesothelioma. Erionite fibers were found in biopsies of mesothelioma lung cancer affected people.

Doctors paneling by treatment support groups analyze each mesothelioma patient. Legal counsel, with the help of housing, utilities, transportation, medical treatment required, pharmaceutical products and services should support the main theme of mesothelioma. The compensation could be millions of dollars for victims of mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos.

Because mesothelioma is caused by direct exposure to asbestos or asbestos dust, and about 30 million tons of asbestos used in buildings of all kinds until the mid 1970's, has kept Mesothelioma lawyers in high demand they pursue settlements for mesothelioma victims and their families. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States.

What is mesothelioma, the website contains useful resources for lawyers and mesothelioma attorneys, as well as causes by asbestos exposure, asbestos removal, asbestos attorneys and lawsuits, and asbestos cancer. Mesothelioma thus becomes a deadly disease if not taken steps to overcome it and when exposure to asbestos is not controlled. However, it would take 10 to 40 years after the first exposure to first symptoms of mesothelioma are evident, making it very difficult to diagnose.

Importantly, once you start experiencing the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma (shortness of breath, chest pains, coughing up blood, and palpitations) you should immediately seek specialized help. Mesothelioma can be caused by very small fibers or dust particles in low levels of exposure. It is generally believed that continued exposure to asbestos is more prone to mesothelioma.

Due to the difficulty of diagnosing mesothelioma in its early stages, many mesothelioma treatments focus on improving the quality of life of patients. There are many variables in evaluating a mesothelioma case, so that only patients that the doctor can determine the best treatment and possible prognosis on an individual basis. Pericardial mesothelioma victims may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, persistent coughing and palpitations.

Chemotherapy of mesothelioma is being improved regularly as research labs and pharmaceutical companies are discovering new and more effective drugs. Pleural mesothelioma: A type of lung cancer which attacks the pleura surrounding the lungs, this is the most common type of mesothelioma, affecting approximately two thirds of all patients with mesothelioma.