| What Is Mesothelioma? |
|
Malignant
mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer
(malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the
pleura) or abdomen (the peritoneum). Most people with malignant
mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos. |
| A doctor should be
seen if a person has shortness of breath, pain in the chest,
or pain or swelling in the abdomen. If these symptoms are present
the doctor may order an x-ray of the chest or abdomen. |
| The doctor may look
inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope.
A cut will be made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope
will be put into the chest between two ribs. |
| This test, called thoracoscopy,
is usually done in the hospital. Before the test, the patient
will be given a local anesthetic (a drug that causes a loss of
feeling for a short period of time). Some pressure may be felt,
but usually there is no pain. |
| The doctor may also look inside the abdomen (peritoneoscopy)
with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. The peritoneoscope
is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is also
usually done in the hospital. Before the test is done, a local
anesthetic will be given. |
| If tissue that is not
normal is found, the doctor will need to cut out a small piece
and have it looked at under a microscope to see if there are
any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. Biopsies are usually
done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy. |
| The chance of recovery
(prognosis) depends on the size of the cancer, where the cancer
is, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancer cells look
under the microscope, how the cancer responds to treatment, and
the patient's age. |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Stage Information |
|
|
| Stages of malignant mesothelioma |
| Once malignant mesothelioma
is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells
have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging.
A doctor needs to know the stage of the cancer to plan treatment.
The following stages are used for malignant mesothelioma. |
|
|
|
|
| Localized malignant mesothelioma |
| Stage I: The cancer
is found in the lining of the chest cavity near the lung and
heart or in the diaphragm or the lung. |
|
|
|
| |
| Advanced malignant mesothelioma |
| Stage II: The cancer
has spread beyond the lining of the chest to lymph nodes in the
chest. |
| |
| Stage III: Cancer has
spread into the chest wall, center of the chest, heart, through
the diaphragm, or abdominal lining, and in some cases into nearby
lymph nodes. |
| |
| Stage IV: Cancer has
spread to distant organs or tissues. |
|
|
|
| Recurrent malignant
mesothelioma |
| Recurrent disease means
that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated.
It may come back in the lining of the chest or abdomen or in
another part of the body. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
