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Pericardial Mesothelioma - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
Pericardial Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which affects the mesothelium tissues of the lining of the heart. It is a rare form of mesothelioma cancer and is caused due to extensive exposure to asbestos. It affects the pericardium as well as the serous membranes of the lungs.
Causes of Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos which can range from prolonged exposure to inhalation of asbestos fibers created during the building, maintenance, and repair of products made of asbestos. It is not very clear on how these asbestos fibers gets trapped in the pericardium or membranes. According to one theory, the asbestos fibers reach the pericardium and serous membranes after getting broken down in the lungs. As this spreading of fibers is very difficult in this part of the body, this form of mesothelioma is very rare and accounts for only 6% of all mesothelioma diagnosis.
Symptoms of Pericardial Mesothelioma
The various symptoms for pericardial mesothelioma includechest pain, discomfort in the chest, cough, dyspnea (breathlessness) as well aspalpitations. There is also accumulation of fluid in the sac around the heart called as the pericardial effusion. These symptoms usually take long to appear which can be as long as about thirty years. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of the symptoms of this form of cancer. Appropriate knowledge about the initial symptoms of this disease can help in early detection and can increase the probability of successful treatment.
The symptoms for this form of mesothelioma are similar to that of pleural mesothelioma and also includethose specific for pericardial tumors and pericardial effusion like low blood pressure, fainting. Most of the symptoms are not in direct consequence of the disease itself instead is due to the accumulation of fluid around the heart. This fluid is a by-product of the expanding cancerous tumor. With the increase in the size of the tumor in the lining of the heart it causes an expansion of the surrounding tissue. This results in an increase in the fluid putting pressure on the heart and surrounding organs like the lungs which in turn causes chest pain and shortness of breath.
Treatment for Pericardial Mesothelioma
Based on the severity of the pericardial mesothelioma which is evaluated on the basis of the size of the cancer tumor and the area to which it has spread and other factors like age and overall health of the patient, various treatment options can be considered. If it is at its advanced stage, the only option left is to improve the quality of life of the patient. Surgery can help to reduce the discomfort. Treatment options is offered based on the stage of the cancer and include:
- Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
- Surgery if diagnosed at early stage
- Palliative surgery involves draining out the fluid in the pericardium using fine needle aspiration. This is low-risk and an easy procedure which is considered to offer a lot of relief.
- Apart from this, current pericardial mesothelioma research is involved in finding new ways of treatment like IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), PDT (Photodynamic Therapy), gene therapy, biological therapy, and new drugs such as VeglinŠ and AlimtaŠ.
Though the survival rate for Pericardial mesotheliomais quite low, the biggest chance of survival lies in early detection so if victims are exposed to asbestos dust, it is very critical that they seek regular medical check-ups.
