Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Article by Lyn Giguere
Pericardial Mesothelioma, the rarest form of this type of cancer, is caused by extreme and extended periods of contact with asbestos. The symptoms of this type of Mesothelioma can take years to come about, with some signs not even appearing until thirty years after exposure.
When one inhales the fibers that are present in asbestos, they travel through the body and lodge into different membranes. In Pericardial Mesothelioma, the asbestos fibers lodge themselves into the pericardium, which is a sac that surrounds the heart. The pericardium has many important functions, such as preventing the overexpansion of the heart and keeping the heart situated correctly in the chest cavity. After the fibers embed into the pericardium, scar tissue begins to build up and form around the heart. Once the scar tissue begins to proliferate, cancerous cells begin to multiply and expand in the chest cavity.
Some of the symptoms that can be seen with Pericardial Mesothelioma are inflammation of the heart, heart palpitations and irregularities in the heart function. However, symptoms will differ in appearance and severity due to many different factors such as age, time of exposure and immune function.
Unfortunately, Pericardial Mesothelioma is normally diagnosed when it is in its later stages. This poses a problem because it is more complicated to determine a proper treatment method for the patient. There are many treatment options that patients can discuss with their doctors. Some people choose to try to remove the cancer, while other people focus on palliative measures that improve a patient