What is Pericardial Mesothelioma?

Pericardial mesothelioma results from cancerous growths in tissues surrounding the heart.

Pericardial Mesothelioma is also called mesothelioma of the heart lining or malignant pericardial mesothelioma.

Pericardial Mesothelium (lining of the heart) is made up of a special types of cells called mesothelia.

Pericardial Mesothelioma is a rare form of mesothelioma cancer of the cells that make up the protective lining (pericardial mesothelium) of the heart.

What Causes Pericardial Mesothelioma?

Eventhough Pericardial Mesothelioma has not been conclusively linked to asbestos exposure, it is believed that pericardial mesothelioma results from exposure to asbestos.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms:

Pericardial Mesothelioma Symptoms often include Chest pain, Chest Discomfort, Cough, Dyspnea (breathlessness), and Palpitations. Pericardial effusion (accumulation of fluid in the sac that encases the heart) is usually quite evident in radiographs.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Diagnosis:

• Chest X-rays, CT scan, and MRI,
• Biopsy of Pericardial Mesothelium Tissue

  If abnormal Pericardial Mesothelium tissue is found or if there are any indicators of possible malignancy, a small tissue is retrived for further examination under a microscope.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Treatment:

Depending upon the severity (and cancer tumor size and it's spread) of this disease, and patient's age and overall health, different treatment path may be considered. If the cancer has already advanced significantly, the only option remaining may be to focus on improving the patient’s quality of life. Considering that many patients are diagnosed late, often in advanced stages of pericardial mesothelioma, surgery is often needed to help minimize the discomfort level. Depending on the stage of this cancer, the treatment options may include:

• Radiotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• Surgery (if the cancer is caught in it's early stage)
• Palliative surgery (fine needle aspiration)

  It is a procedure to help drain the build up of fluid (pericardial effusion) in the pericardium . Fine needle aspiration procedure involves insertion of a needle into the chest cavity for draining the fluid accumulated in the pericardium. This low-risk, quick and easy procedure often provides significant symptomatic relief.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Prognosis, Patient Survival Rate:

Considering that Pericardial Mesothelioma is often diagnosed late, and the fact that there is no effective treatment for this disease, the prognosis for pericardial mesothelioma patients is often quite poor. Surgery for complete removal of advanced stage malignant pericardial mesothelioma cancer tumors is often not a viable option because it is very difficult to surgically remove such tumors.

Additional information available on: Lung Cancer Causes, Lung Cancer Risk Factors, Lung Cancer Early Signs, Lung Cancer Symptoms, Lung Cancer Early Diagnosis, Staging of Lung Cancer Tumors, Lung Cancer Treatment, Lung Cancer Vaccine, Lung Cancer Prognosis, Small Cell Lung Cancer, - SCLC, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - NSCLC, Mixed Small Cell/Large Cell Lung Cancer, Asbestos, Asbestosis, Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer Caused by Asbestos Exposure, Pleural Mesothelioma, Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Pericardial Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Diagnosis, Mesothelioma Symptoms, Mesothelioma Treatment, Mesothelioma Drugs, Mesothelioma Surgery, Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Drugs, and Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy.

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