Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that develops in the membrane that lines the abdomen and its organs, known as the peritoneum. Asbestos exposure is its most common risk factor.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a type of cancer that currently has no cure. Still, a combination of treatments, including surgery and palliative care, can help manage the condition, improve a person’s outlook, and enhance a person’s quality of life.
This article will discuss peritoneal mesothelioma, including its symptoms, risk factors, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
![person receiving treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma](https://media.post.rvohealth.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/05/chemotherapy-arm-1296x728-header-1024x575.jpg)
Peritoneal mesothelioma
Generally, though, it is a rare type of cancer.
Getting an early diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma can be difficult. This is because it is an aggressive type of cancer that spreads to surrounding organs quickly.
According to a 2023 review, the incidence of peritoneal mesothelioma in the United States is 19.4 million cases among males and 4.1 million cases among females. The same review also estimates about 15,000 new confirmed cases of peritoneal mesothelioma each year.
Learn more about mesothelioma.
Peritoneal mesothelioma
- abdominal swelling due to fluid buildup, also known as ascites
- diarrhea
- constipation
- abdominal pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- appetite loss
- weight loss
Asbestos exposure is one of the most common causes of peritoneal mesothelioma and is responsible for about a third of cases. However, people can develop this cancer even without being exposed to asbestos.
Individuals who have occupational exposure to asbestos are at a higher risk of peritoneal mesothelioma. These may include those who work in construction, electrical work, roofing, plumbing, or the automotive industry.
Exposure to radiation or certain minerals
A
While anyone can develop peritoneal mesothelioma, it is more common in advanced adulthood.
Doctors often find it challenging to diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma, especially in its early stages, since it does not usually produce any symptoms. They may sometimes misdiagnose peritoneal mesothelioma since its symptoms are similar to many other types of cancer.
Typically, to diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma,
- blood tests
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
- computed tomography (CT) scan
- X-rays
- biopsy to collect a sample of tissue for laboratory analysis
- peritoneal fluid analysis
The median age at the time of diagnosis is 63.3 years of age. Generally, though, it usually occurs in people around the ages of 40 to 50 years who have had exposure to asbestos.
Staging
Doctors use a cancer staging system called the peritoneal cancer index (PCI) to determine how advanced peritoneal mesothelioma is.
The PCI has 4 stages:
- PCI stage 1: score from 1 to 10
- PCI stage 2: score from 11 to 20
- PCI stage 3: score from 21 to 30
- PCI stage 4: score from 31 to 39
The PCI divides the belly into 13 sections and assigns each area a score from 0 to 3. Zero means no cancer, and 3 means the cancer is prevalent in that area. The doctor adds up all the scores to determine the cancer stage.
Stage 1 is the least advanced stage of cancer, while stage 4 is the most advanced.
Currently, there is no cure for peritoneal mesothelioma. Treatment
Options may include:
Cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)
HIPEC is a type of chemotherapy that uses a safe temperature of 43°C and is applied directly to the abdomen. The heat makes chemotherapy stronger than a regular dose of the same drug, and it helps kill any remaining cancer cells that the doctor may have missed during cytoreduction surgery.
Surgery
Doctors may perform a peritonectomy (removal of the peritoneum) to treat peritoneal mesothelioma. If cancer has spread to other organs, such as the spleen, the gallbladder, or sections of the bowel, doctors
Immunotherapy
This approach uses drugs to activate the immune system to find and kill cancerous cells. However,
Chemotherapy
Doctors
Chemotherapy may consist of a combination of drugs that can help kill cancer cells and slow down their growth. It aims to improve symptoms and a person’s life expectancy.
Medications include:
- carboplatin
- cisplatin
- gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- pemetrexed (Alimta)
- vinorelbine
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy
This therapy type targets genetic changes that cause the growth of healthy cells into cancer cells.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy
However, it is not a first-line treatment, since peritoneal mesothelioma does not usually grow as a single distinct tumor.
There is no cure for peritoneal mesothelioma, but receiving appropriate treatment can improve life expectancy. This, however, also depends on the stage of cancer at diagnosis.
Generally, the 5-year survival rate for people with peritoneal mesothelioma after receiving the diagnosis is
- age at diagnosis
- general health conditions
- advancements in cancer treatments
People who receive a diagnosis today may be more likely to have a better outlook than the people considered for this statistic.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdomen and its organs. The most common cause of peritoneal mesothelioma is asbestos exposure, causing about one-third of cases.
There is no cure for peritoneal mesothelioma, and doctors find it difficult to diagnose since it displays symptoms that are similar to many other types of cancer. However, several treatment options are available to manage peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms and improve life expectancy.