Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Doctors report that most victims of peritoneal mesothelioma start seeing symptoms of the disease between six-months and two years before the actual diagnosis. Many report patients showing signs of inguinal hernia, umbilical hernia and tumors during pelvic examination.
Other symptoms include abdominal pain, abdominal mass, increased girth, fluid in the abdomen, unexplained weight loss, anemia and digestive disturbances. Actually, the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma is only given after all other theories have been exhausted. After the disease has manifested itself, patients experience bowel obstructions, blood clots, anemia, low albumin levels and severe stomach pain.
How does Asbestos Exposure cause Peritoneal Mesothelioma?
As the research continues into the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma, two basic theories have been advanced as what causes the disease:
- Theory 1 argues that peritoneal mesothelioma is caused from the ingesting of asbestos fibers into the digestive tract. By doing so, the asbestos particles become lodged into the peritoneal membrane. They then react with the cells of the peritoneal membrane resulting in the formation of cancerous cells.
- Theory 2 argues that peritoneal mesothelioma develops due to the inhalation of asbestos particles. These asbestos particles then travel to the peritoneal membrane through the lymphatic system.
However, irrespective of the route taken by the asbestos particles, once lodged into the peritoneal membrane they do irreparable damage causing the cells to become irritated and inflamed causing in them to divide and grow uncontrollably.
Diagnosis of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
The diagnosis of Peritoneal Mesothelioma takes a long time as it usually mistaken for other diseases. Most doctors will base their diagnosis on internal imaging result from X-rays and CT scans. Actually, CT scans can also be used to distinguish between the “wet” and “dry” types of Peritoneal Mesothelioma. This is because the both appear differently during a CT scan where the “wet type” shows a wide spread of small nodules but no dominant mass and the “dry type” shows multiple small masses or one single dominant mass.
Some doctors depend on biopsies to test the tissue content for cancerous cells. This is done especially if the X-Ray and CT scans prove to be inconclusive.
Treatment of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
By the time the diagnosis of Peritoneal Mesothelioma is given, many victims are already in the advanced stages of the disease. This makes it very difficult to treat and at that time is considered terminal.
However, many doctors prescribe medication to ease the suffering of patients. Most doctors will adapt a combined approach as treatments by surgery and chemotherapy by themselves have proven to be ineffective. Some combined treatments include the use of intra-peritoneal hypothermic chemotherapy, radiation, medication and surgery.
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