Peritoneal Mesothelioma affects the lining of abdominal cavity and accounts to about one-fifth of all reported cases of mesothelioma cancer. It is more common in men than women and mostly caused by exposure to asbestos. The symptoms start showing only after twenty to thirty years after such exposure and can assume life-threatening proportions if not treated immediately. Effective diagnosis of the disease can be made by a tissue biopsy, but other methods like CT scan may yield confusing results.
Clinical symptoms of the cancer normally are pain in abdomen, formation of lumps in abdomen, collection of fluid in the abdomen, fever, fatigue, inexplicable weight loss, malfunctioning of digestive systems and anemia. Some patients may feel uncomfortable many months before the actual symptoms materialize. In many cases, Peritoneal Mesothelioma is detected while the patient is on a check up for problems like hernia, pelvic mass, gall bladder etc.
The different stages of this cancer are presently determined in the tumor, lymph nodes and metastases system (TNM), which is used to determine general cancers. The first level shows localized abrasions and is totally removable. The second stage, where the disease affects the abdominal cavity on peritoneal and organ surfaces, is also curable by aggressive therapies. In the third stage, the infection spreads inside vital organs like colon and liver, but stays inside the abdominal cavity. The malady reaches the fourth stage when the infection spreads from the abdominal cavity to the nearby areas.
Aggressive medication and other therapies have been found to be successful in many Peritoneal Mesothelioma cases. Debulking surgery to remove the entire visible tumor combined with Intra-Peritoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC), intraperitoneal chemotherapy and radiation is the most common multimodality treatment followed by doctors. The process is often lengthy and may be frustrating to both the patients and their near and dear ones. Since chemotherapy and other medications involve several side effects, proper intake of vital minerals and nutrients is essential to help the body cope with them.
The age, physical health conditions etc of the patient are also factors that determines the level of success. Timely checkup and aggressive treatment are essential to detect and cure the malady at the outset itself.
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