Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma can develop in a person when asbestos fibers get inside the peritoneum. And this can happen if those toxic particles are breathed in, get lodged in the lungs or in the abdominal lining and inside the peritoneum. It is also possible that the asbestos fibers get swallowed rather than inhaled. This can result in the abdominal lining to swell and later on trigger the initiation of tumor growth. These tumors may spread inside and beyond the abdominal cavity.
Especially individuals who got in contact with asbestos during the course of their employment, are at a high risk of getting sick. Like all other kinds of mesothelioma, this form may not show any signs or symptoms for years or decades. It is not uncommon that by the time a diagnosis can be made, the condition has already evolved to an advanced stage.
As the cancerous tumors begin to develop in the peritoneum, fluid accumulations build up in the abdominal area. This can result in inflammations and pain. Usually, this manifests in the most frequently observed symptom of peritoneal mesothelioma, which is upper abdominal pain.
Peritoneal mesothelioma can be categorized by three kinds of cancer cells:
• Epithelioid mesothelioma - It is the most widespread type of mesothelioma which ranges between 50-70 percent of all registered mesothelioma diagnoses. Individual cells are somewhat homogeneous in form with a distinctive tubular pattern and a cell nucleus that, when examined under high magnifying microscope, are noticeably distinct from other cell nuclei.
• Sarcomatoid mesothelioma - Sarcomatoid mesothelioma accounts for 10 - 15 percent of the mesothelioma cancers and it is the least frequently occurring type. Sarcomatoid cells are characteristically oval shaped. Because of their form and shape which resemble those of other cells, an assessment of as to whether not they are indicative of sarcomatoid or another mesothelioma variant can be rather difficult.
• Biphasic mesothelioma - Biphasic mesothelioma cancer is a mix of epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesothelioma cancer because it does not have a distinctive cellular structure. In other words, biphasic mesothelioma cancer is an amalgamation of epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesothelioma cancer. For the reason, patients diagnosed with this form have two extremely dissimilar mesothelioma cell variations linked to their disease.
Symptoms
• Abdominal pain, acute to severe
• Swelling of the abdominal region due to fluid accumulation
• Breathing difficulties
• Loss of appetite resulting in weight loss
• Bowel obstruction
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weakness
