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Peritoneal mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma is also known as asbestos lung cancer as the cancer happens due to asbestos inhalation. Patients usually swallow or inhale asbestos during work related activities and the asbestos fibers now present in the body reacts with the Mesothelium cells and causes cancer. But its symptoms don’t appear even up to 20 to 40 years after the contact with the mineral and its by-products. The disease is fatal and after the diagnosis the peritoneal mesothelioma treatment helps the patient in surviving.
Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
The symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling, hairball, swelling in neck and face, tissue lumps in abdomen, change in bowel habits like frequent diarrhea or constipation. The pituitary gland in peritoneal mesothelioma is considered abnormal and suggestive of an adenoma. It also effect eye and cause conjunctivitis. The cases of female suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma complicate pregnancy.
Diagnostic Tools
Either X-rays can diagnose peritoneal Mesothelioma or CT scans. Sometimes by peritoneoscopy or biopsy also a tissue sample is examined by pathologist.
Factors affecting treatment
The treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma depends on various factors like the stage of cancer as the chances of survival are more if the disease gets diagnosed in early stages but in later stages treatment is done to reduce the pain. The other medical conditions of the patient affect the type of treatment given to the patient as some patient are allergic to certain type of chemicals used in a treatment. The general fitness of patient should be appropriate as the patient should have the stamina to bear the various chemicals, medicines and injections given for treatment.
Peritoneal mesothelioma treatment
The peritoneal mesothelioma treatment is done either by systematic treatments that involve whole body treatments by chemotherapy and Localized treatments that include surgery and radiotherapy.
Surgery
The surgical operation done to treat peritoneal mesothelioma is called as peritonectomy. The peritoneum is removed from the area where the mesothelioma has started growing. Now a days Cytoreductive surgery is becoming popular as it involves 6 different peritonectomy procedures so as to remove the cancer up to the maximum. After that chemotherapy is given straight into the peritoneal cavity.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is done in peritoneal mesothelioma so as to control symptoms and slower the cancer. The anti-cancer drugs are injected into a vein or sometimes directly into the abdomen. This treatment can be given weekly or every two to three weeks that depends on the type of chemotherapy drugs used.
Supportive care
As the disease is detected in later stages so some peritoneal mesothelioma treatment is done to relieve the symptoms like weight loss and pain. The palliative care team includes doctors and nurses who control the advanced symptoms of cancer. The team also includes a physiotherapist and a dietician for the relaxation of the patient. In the advanced stages of peritoneal mesothelioma the fluid collect inside the abdomen and the abdomen swell out. This discomfort is reduced by draining the excessive fluid through abdominal paracentesis.
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