Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare disease affecting between 100 and 500 people in
the US. Its only known cause in the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos, but
it can be many years after exposure before the disease appears. Peritoneal
mesotheliomas account for about one-fifth of all mesotheliomas.
Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to
asbestos. Early symptoms of mesotheliomas are not specific to the disease.
People often ignore them or mistake them for common, minor ailments.
When the symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma appear, they typically include
abdominal pains, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and
abdominal swelling. Fluid often accumulates in the peritoneal space, a
condition known as ascites. Over time the wasting symptoms can become more and
more severe
Diagnosis
As with all mesotheliomas, the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma can be
challenging. CT findings may help differentiate between the two clinical types
of peritoneal mesothelioma, termed “dry” or “wet”, since their appearances are
very different upon imaging. In the “dry” type, CT may reveal multiple small
masses or a single dominant localized mass. There is normally little or no
ascites. In the “wet” type, CT may reveal widespread small nodules, but no
dominant mass. Ascites is usually present.
Treating Peritoneal Mesothelioma
multimodality treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma has become more common
for a select patient population, since surgery alone and/or intraperitoneal
chemotherapy alone have proven to be similarly ineffective. Cytoreductive
(debulking) surgery involves the removal of all or nearly all visible tumor,
and, depending on the physician’s choice, may be combined with Intra-Peritoneal
Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC), intraperitoneal chemotherapy and/or radiation
The disease affects men 3 to 5 times more often than women. Mesothelioma is
less common in African Americans than in Caucasians. The average survival time
is about one year.
However early detection and aggressive treatment can increase this survival time.
50% of patients whose cancer was detected early reach 2 years. 20% reach 5 years.
Treatment is being improved and often results in a better outlook for newly
diagnosed patients. The 5-year survival rate refers to the percent of patients
who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed
