Peritoneal mesothelioma is also referred to as abdominal mesothelioma and it is a form of rear cancer that affects the lining of the abdomen causing fluid to build up. In the United States, only 100 to 500 cases of this illness are reported. Some of the signs that you can look out for to recognize this disease are weight loss, swelling or pain in the abdomen, fever, anemia and bowel obstruction. Some other symptoms may be minor and you may not realize them. The major cause of this diseased is believed to be the exposure to asbestos which can be ingested in the intestines or inhaled. However, there is no conclusive evidence that these is the cause and therefore nothing official.

If you suspect to have peritoneal mesothelioma, you are advised to see a doctor immediately to avert an imminent crisis. It has been reported that 70% to 80% of people who suffer from the illness have been exposed to asbestos at some point in their lives. Patients are advised to mention if they have come into contact with the substance. It is very difficult to diagnose the illness. The first thing a doctor orders is a chest and an abdomen x ray. Then the lungs are tested because the tumor forms near the organs to cause shortness of breath. Usually a thoracoscopy is performed. This is a test that is done that sees an object called a thoracoscope inserted in the chest cavity to search for the disease. The patient is under local anesthesia and the procedure is usually painless.

In the same way, the doctor may look inside the abdomen but, this procedure is called peritoneoscopy. Also the patient is put under local anesthesia. Both procedures are done in a hospital. During these procedures, a biopsy is usually done. A biopsy is the testing of a sample tissue under a microscope, to find out whether there are cancer cells. Therefore, some tissues of the affected area are usually cut to provide the samples. There are a lot of wrong diagnosis for peritoneal mesothelioma because of the complex nature in diagonizing it. Peritoneal mesothelioma is fatal depending on the size of the cancer. There are treatments available and with the right follow up, a patient can recover totally.

There are several treatment options and, they include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy and others. Surgery is one of the best way to cure a malignant tumor and, there are several ways to do it with surgery. There are over 5 surgical procedures to treat peritoneal mesothelioma. High energy gamma rays and x rays are used to treat the disease and this therapy is called radiation. There are several kinds of radiation treatments and according to the uniqueness of each case, many treatments are administered. A patient can be treated using drugs to kill the cancer and this is called chemotherapy. The drugs can be administered orally or through injections. Some of these treatments can leave a patient very weak. Another side effect is loss of hair.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity. The peritoneum is a membranous layer comprising the parietal and visceral layers protecting the abdominal cavity and abdominal organs. There are four categories that will determine the stage of the mesothelioma. Category one shows a solitary tumor which can be removed. The second indicates that the cancer is already within the abdominal cavity. The third category evinces the invasion of other organs like colon and liver. The final one shows complete penetration of cancer to the outside abdominal cavity.

In diagnosing peritoneal mesothelioma, there will be the usual physical examination and imaging tests like x-rays and CT scan. Likewise, there is a need to extract fluid or tissue from the peritoneum to check if it is indeed malignant. The findings will reveal whether the mesothelioma is dry or wet. If the result of the examination yields to a dry-type cancer, it means that there are multiple small masses or only one dominant localized mass. There will be small amount of ascites or none at all. Ascites refers to the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity. But if the cancer is wet-type, there will be small nodules and the ascites is apparent. In the latter case, the fluid will be removed through paracentesis.

There are two supporting theories behind the role of asbestos to the development of peritoneal mesothelioma. The first theory provides that when the asbestos fibers are absorbed by the body, they pass through the digestive organs all the way to the peritoneal membrane. The second theory explains that when asbestos fibers draw deep into the lungs, they work their way to the peritoneal membrane through the lymphatic system. But irrespective of the manner the asbestos gains access to the peritoneal layers, the fibers are stuck in the membrane and gradually cause damage to the mesothelial cells of the peritoneum.

There is no known cure for peritoneal mesothelioma. But specialists have introduced intraperitoneal chemotherapy, an innovative treatment which gives better result than the normal mesothelioma surgery. This is done usually after debulking surgery which involves the removal of all the tumors in the area. Still, the prognosis may not be good. However, for possible long term survival, the patients must have a complete cytoreduction. It means that there should be no peritoneal seeding and the nodules must be less than 2.5 centimeters. Otherwise, clinical trials for palliative treatment to lessen the pain will be the alternative.