An Insight into Pericardial Mesothelioma
The rarest type of mesothelioma cancer which comprises of only 5% of all the mesothelioma cases is pericardial mesothelioma.
 The lining of the chest cavity which protects the heart is known as pericardium. It is provided with a natural fluid or mucous which provides continuous lubrication to the heart so that it can work properly and perform its functions.
When this pericardium is exposed to asbestos, it is pierced leading to mutation and cancerous growth of cells which can result in malignant pericardial mesothelioma. Once this cancer takes root in the pericardium, it can lead to painful symptoms and other related problems. As indicated by results, pericardial mesothelioma is very dangerous as it can destroy the tissues around the heart which diminishes the survival chances of the patient. As the asbestos particles settle further into the lining and the cancer spreads in the body, it slowly destroys the heart tissues and muscles which is very hazardous to life.
It has been seen that people who are middle aged are most likely to develop this type of mesothelioma and men are more vulnerable to this cancer due to their exposure to asbestos.
Symptoms of Pericardial Mesothelioma
Symptoms that are associated with pericardial mesothelioma include:
- Chest pain
- Fluid buildup around the heart
- A mass in the space between the lungs
- Abnormal or difficult breathing (dyspnea)
- Chronic coughing
- Irregular heartbeat or palpitations
By the time, these symptoms are apparent; it is usually too late to do anything except to relieve the painful symptoms. Long latency period makes timely diagnosis and treatments difficult.
Diagnosing Pericardial Mesothelioma
The first steps taken to diagnose pericardial mesothelioma are x-ray and scans to determine where the cancer is located in the body. CT and PET scan are quite helpful in this regard as they can locate the cancerous cells in the body with help of imaging.
Apart from this, biopsy is also carried out if there is any abnormality or growth in the surrounding tissues. In biopsy, the cancerous cells are taken out from the body with help of a needle and checked under a microscope. This helps in determining the kind of mesothelioma a patient is suffering from. More and newer tests are being carried out to determine an easy and exact way to determine pericardial mesothelioma, which prove to be more effective.
Treatment for Pericardial Mesothelioma
Although there are a few treatment options for malignant pericardial mesothelioma, it is only a few of them which are really effective. In most of the pericardial mesothelioma cases, the patients do not respond to the treatments as the disease has already progressed to a later stage when it is diagnosed. However, medicines are given to control the pain and improve the quality of patients’ life.
Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are some of the most common ways to treat malignant mesothelioma. While radiation is used to slow down the spread of cancer in the body, chemotherapy acts as a medicine to kill the cancerous cells.
In many of the cases, fluid is taken out by help of a surgery called ‘fine needle aspiration’ to drain the pericardium of the excess fluid which causes pain. This can help in relieving some of the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma. If needed, in some cases, the pericardium is also removed which tries to eliminate the cancer from the body.
Treatment is decided keeping in mind the patient’s age, stage of the disease and location of cancer in the body. In some cases, the doctor may prefer surgery or any other means depending upon the patient’s condition.
One thing which is beneficial to the patients is the compensation which they can claim from the responsible industry which negligently exposed them to asbestos. They can file a lawsuit and claim a handsome compensation to pay for their medical bills and other expenses.
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