Pericardial Mesothelioma - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis
Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for about half of all pericardial tumors and is extremely rare. This cancer accounts for about 6% of all mesothelioma cases, these tumors are typically diffused and tend to cover the whole heart.
Pericardial mesothelioma affects the pericardium which is the membrane made up of mesothelial cells that surrounds and protects the heart. This membrane has two layers: A} an outer layer called parietal pericardium B} an inner layer called the visceral pericardium {epicardium}
Cause
Unlike in the case of pleural mesothelioma, there is no clear link between this cancer and exposure to asbestos fibers, but a number of patients with pericardial mesothelioma have a history of exposure to asbestos.
Some schools of thought believe that it is the inhaled asbestos fibers in the lungs that travel via blood from the lungs to the heart, although this theory is not supported by conclusive evidence.
When asbestos fibers get lodged in the pericardium, the body is unable to excrete the asbestos fibers and they remain stuck in the pericardium. These fibers over a long period of time cause the pericardial cells to undergo changes that result into cancerous transformation.
The cancer cells divide without control and they eventually lead to the thickening of the pericardial membranes eventually causing development of the tumors. These changes lead to the accumulation of fluids in between the two layers which combined with the thickening of these layers result in the compression of the heart.
Symptoms
Most of the symptoms are caused by the accumulation of fluids and the thickening of the pericardial layer. The common symptoms are: A) Heart palpitations or irregular pulse (arrhythmias) B) Chest pain C) Murmurs (abnormal heart sounds) D) Cough E) Dyspnoea (shortness of breath) F) Fatigue H) Fever or night sweats I) Orthopnoea (breathlessness on lying down)
These symptoms are not specific for the cancer, making the clinical diagnosis very difficult.
Diagnosis
After getting a clinical diagnosis a series of tests can be done to locate the cancer and identify the cancer cells.
-MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging
This is useful in assessing and determining the extent of development of the cancer.
-Biopsy
This involves the removal of pericardium tissue or fluid for laboratory test to confirm the presence of mesothelioma cells.
-Chest x-ray
This helps to identify the tumor, there is a characteristic shape of the heart on the x-ray film when there is a tumor of the pericardium.
-Chest CT scan
This also helps to identify the tumor.
Treatment
Pericardial mesothelioma patients are not usually suitable for surgery, except in rare cases where the cancer is diagnosed very early and surgery may be done to remove small localized tumors.
This type of surgery is very risky because of the proximity of the heart.
Palliative treatment is often the only option for treating pericardial mesothelioma, this type of treatment is aimed at improving the patient's quality of life and reducing the severity of symptoms caused by the accumulation of fluid in the pericardium.
Fine needle aspiration may be done to drain the accumulated fluid surrounding the heart. Radiotherapy could also be used to shrink the tumor to alleviate the symptoms caused by the compression of the heart by the accumulating fluid. The proximity of the heart and lungs however makes this a very risky procedure.
Prognosis
The prognosis of this type of mesothelioma is very poor, about 50 -60% of all cases die within 6 months of diagnosis. Occasionally few patients survive for longer periods following treatment with partial surgical resection and radiotherapy.
Questions and Answers
Pericardial mesothelioma is a mesothelioma cancer that starts perilously close to the heart. Misdiagnosis is common, and treatment options are slim. The tumor can be benign, allowing for easier removal, or malignant - fast spreading and deadly. There are many cancers and diseases that affect the pericardial space around the heart, and pericardial mesothelioma is one of the rarest. However, it is the most common primary malignant pericardial tumor.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature defines pericardial mesothelioma as a type of cancer that originates in the mesothelium.
all about symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma, asbestos, maligant mesothelioma, Pericardial mesothelioma. just grab it.
Mesothelioma symptoms are progressively slow and take years to surface. Early medical testing to confirm the etymology of mesothelioma symptoms can add years on to your life, and can even offer you salvation from a normally fatal disease. If you’ve been exposed to asbestos and are experiencing mesothelioma symptoms, notify your doctor of any asbestos exposure and monitor your symptoms from their onset.
Malignant Pericardial Mesothelioma is extremely rare form of mesothelioma cancer that makes up 5 percent of all mesothelioma cases. Until now, less than 150 cases have been presented in medical literature and about 200 cases have been reported worldwide.
Cancer translational research brings together scientists' and clinicians' suggestions to develop solutions to biomedical complications. This kind of applied research strives to offer strategies to questions surrounding the etiology, pathology, diagnosis, prevention and treating cancer.
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Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that originates in the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the protective lining that covers the body's internal organs. Mesothelioma occurs when the mesothelium cells start to divide uncontrollably.
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