PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA
Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen and is the second most common type of mesothelioma. It makes up about 20 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
Just like pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. When someone ingests microscopic asbestos fibers, the tiny sharp particles get embedded in the lining
of the abdomen (peritoneum). Over a course of 20 to 50 years, the fibers in the peritoneum cause mutations in the surrounding healthy mesothelial cells. Constant genetic damage makes these
cells cancerous, forming tumors on the peritoneum.
What does your diagnosis mean? Once doctors obtain a diagnosis, they can determine a treatment plan based on the cell type and how advanced the disease is. Peritoneal mesothelioma doesn�t
have a standard staging system, so doctors classify the disease as either localized or advanced. Those with localized mesothelioma can generally handle more aggressive treatments.
What treatments work? Surgery offers the best chances for long-term survival. The cytoreduction with HIPEC has become the standard of care for peritoneal mesothelioma patients.
The procedure removes tumors from the abdomen and treats the affected area with heated chemotherapy.
What�s the prognosis for this disease? Thanks in part to HIPEC, peritoneal mesothelioma patients have a higher survival rate than those diagnosed with either pleural or pericardial mesothelioma.
The survival time of some patients treated with this procedure has even reached beyond 5 years.
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