Pericardial mesothelioma is one of the rarest forms of mesothelioma. Of the almost three thousand mesothelioma cases reported each year, pericardial mesothelioma only accounts for five percent. However, this does not take away from the devastating effect of the disease, as it is one of the most lethal forms of mesothelioma.
Pericardial mesothelioma is a disease that is little under stood by many individuals. This is compounded by the fact that most of its early symptoms are similar to those of other respiratory diseases. Therefore, by the time it is diagnosed the disease is already in an advanced stage. Here, we will attempt to dispel some of the mystery surrounding pericardial mesothelioma.
Malignant Pericardial Mesothelioma is extremely rare form of mesothelioma cancer that makes up 5 percent of all mesothelioma cases. Until now, less than 150 cases have been presented in medical literature and about 200 cases have been reported worldwide.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature defines pericardial mesothelioma as a type of cancer that originates in the mesothelium, a thin wall of cells that surround the body's organs and internal body structures. Pericardial mesothelioma originates in the lining of the heart. Other locales of the disease are malignant pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the lungs and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the abdomen wall.
There are three variations of Mesothelioma and each has its own symptoms, treatments and area of focus.