Archive for the ‘Mesothelioma Information’ Category

Benign Mesothelioma : Benign Tumors

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

When healthy cells start rapid division then Benign tumors form. This rapid pace of cellular growth leads to the formation of tumors as cells mass on top of one another, forming a solid lump of cells. Tumor cells are not all the same, which may be classified as benign or malignant.

There are important differences between malignant and benign tumor cells.

  1. Benign mesothelioma – as the name indicates – A noncancerous tumor of the pleura. Malignant mesothelioma is a cancerous tumor of the lining of the lung and chest cavity (pleura) or lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) that is almost always caused by sustained exposure to asbestos.
  2. Malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues and cause damage to healthy tissues and organs, whereas benign tumors do not invade nearby tissues, and do not spread to other parts of the body.
  3. Malignant tumor cells can ‘relocate’ to other parts of the body by traveling through the blood or lymphatic system. When this occurs, these cells can begin forming new cancerous tumors in other locations.
  4. Benign mesothelioma is much less serious than malignant mesothelioma.
  5. Benign mesothelioma, also known as multicystic or fibrous mesothelioma. More recently referred to as a “solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura.

You can get all the types of Mesothelioma details on this blog.

Testicular Mesothelioma : Testicular Tumors : Mesothelioma Tumors

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis is the least common type of malignant mesothelioma. Testicular mesothelioma develops in the lining that surrounds the testicles, known as the tunica vaginalis, which provides protection and support for the reproductive organ. Since the testicles are the reproductive organs of the human body, it can be very dangerous if they are damaged by cancerous tumors. Most patients are in their 50s or older, but about ten percent of the patients are younger than 25 years.

More common testicular cancers include nonseminomas germ cell, seminomas germ cell or non-germ cell. Most frequently it is found as a palpable tumor, but it is also sometimes found during hernia repair. This finding can be associated with hydrocele, which is a fluid-filled sac surrounding the testicle, with or without a detectable mass. Testicular mesotheliomas are aggressive, and have a tendency to recur within two years, spreading to other areas such as nearby organs, lymph nodes, chest cavity, lungs, and the brain.

You can get all the types of Mesothelioma details on this blog.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Pericardial Mesothelioma is the rarest form of the asbestos-related cancer. Approximately 5 percent of all mesothelioma cases are pericardial. It is associated with long term exposure to asbestos fibres. This form of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the heart, known as the pericardium. The heart, as with any organ that requires constant movement to work properly, requires constant lubrication. Lubrication comes in the form of a thin layer of mucous, and in normal systems the heart beats on as normal.

As in the lung, the rapid growth of the cancerous tumors can cause expansion of the tissue and accumulation of fluid. The fluid can interfere with the functioning of the heart and cause chest pain. People in the fourth to seventh decades of life are most likely to have this cancer, and there is a 2:1 male to female ratio.

You can get all the types of Mesothelioma details on this blog.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma : Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma Cancer

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common type of malignant mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the name given to the cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma is most often caused by the ingestion of carcinogenic asbestos fibers.

Comprising approximately 25 percent of mesothelioma cases, this form of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneal membrane. The collection of cells surrounds the gastrointestinal tract and provides lubrication for the stomach and intestines to move so that they may function properly. These organs must be able to move properly in order to properly digest and process food, and a failure in the peritoneum can result in severe and debilitating consequences.

You can get all the types of Mesothelioma details on this blog.

Types of Mesothelioma

Friday, July 24th, 2009

There are majorly 5 types of mesothelioma which are listed below.

  1. Pleural Mesothelioma
  2. Peritoneal Mesothelioma
  3. Pericardial Mesothelioma
  4. Testicular Mesothelioma
  5. Benign Vs Malignant Mesothelioma

You will find the details of all the types of mesothelioma in the following posts.

Epidemiology of Mesothelioma

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. The incidence rate is approximately one per 1,000,000. The highest incidence is found in Britain, Australia and Belgium: 30 per 1,000,000 per year. For comparison, populations with high levels of smoking can have a lung cancer incidence of over 1,000 per 1,000,000. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma currently ranges from about 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in industrialized Western nations, depending on the amount of asbestos exposure of the populations during the past several decades. It has been estimated that incidence may have peaked at 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004.

Incidence is expected to continue increasing in other parts of the world. This cancer occurs about four times more frequently in men than in women and all forms of mesothelioma, except for benign mesothelioma, are invariably fatal. Approximately one fifth to one third of all mesotheliomas are peritoneal.

Between 1940 and 1979, approximately 27.5 million people were occupationally exposed to asbestos in the United States. Between 1973 and 1984, there has been a threefold increase in the diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in Caucasian males. From 1980 to the late 1990s, the death rate from mesothelioma in the USA increased from 2,000 per year to 3,000, with men four times more likely to acquire it than women. These rates may not be accurate, since it is possible that many cases of mesothelioma are misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma of the lung, which is difficult to differentiate from mesothelioma.