Mesothelioma Prognosis

Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Once a patient is diagnosed, a doctor will likely discuss their prognosis, or probable course and outcome of the cancer's influence on the body. The best way to improve a patient's mesothelioma life expectancy is through early detection. Mesothelioma...

Mesothelioma Risk Factors

There are several risk factors that increase the likelihood that a person will develop mesothelioma. The primary risk factor is asbestos exposure. Exposure to this very harmful substance can significantly enhance the chances of contracting the disease. Smoking does not have a direct causal relationship with mesothelioma but is a significant compounding...

Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the most widely used treatments for cancers of all types. Literally meaning "chemical therapy", it was developed in the 1940s and, today, more than 100 chemo drugs are on the market. Chemotherapy uses certain medications to kill cancer cells and stop them from multiplying. A number of different chemo drugs can be used to...

Abdominal Mesothelioma

The medical term for mesothelioma that develops in the abdomen is peritoneal mesothelioma, a variation of the disease that develops in the peritoneum, which is the layer of tissue lining the abdominal cavity wall. The predominant symptom is swelling of the abdomen, due to the production of abnormal amounts of the peritoneal fluid that is normally...

Mesothelioma and Asbestos

While a rare disorder in the general population, mesothelioma is not rare among individuals exposed to asbestos. There are two to three thousand new diagnoses of mesothelioma every year. Exposure to asbestos is the only confirmed cause of mesothelioma. Most mesothelioma victims were exposed to asbestos in the workplace and were never told of its dangers...

Mesothelioma Surgery

When an individual is diagnosed with cancer, treatment options will be one of the first topics discussed with the oncologist. The available treatment options will vary from patient to patient depending on the type of mesothelioma that has been diagnosed and the stage that the disease has progressed to. Mesothelioma, in particular, is a very serious...

Peritoneal mesothelioma

Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of malignant mesothelioma, making up twenty to twenty five percent of diagnosed mesothelioma cases. This type of mesothelioma affects the cells of the peritoneal mesothelium, also known as the peritoneum, which is the membrane lining the abdominal cavity wall. In this area of the body the mesothelium...

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial mesothelioma, or mesothelioma of the pericardium, is a disease that affects the lining of the heart (pericardium). It is a common misconception that mesothelioma is a type of primary lung cancer; it is not. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the serous membranes. These membranes enclose a number of organs throughout the midsection of the body,...