Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma cancer is an uncommon form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium. It is very fast-growing lethal cancer of the mesothelium, in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide rapidly and uncontrollably. They can encroach and damage nearby tissues and organs. Most cases of the disease begin in pleura , the thoracic cavity or peritoneum, the abdominal cavity. Asbestos, a natural mineral, is the only known cause of the disease. The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells. One layer immediately surrounds the organ and the outer layer forms a sac around it. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States. This cancer occurs more frequently in men than in women. All forms of the disease are fatal except benign or non-malignant forms. The prognosis for mesothelioma cancer is as less as one year. Median survival is less than one year. Obviously, prognosis depends on how early the cancer is diagnosed and how well it is being treated. Mesothelioma is considered localized if the cancer is confined one organ. It is considered advanced if it has spread beyond that organ to other adjacent parts of the body such as the lungs, chest wall, abdominal cavity or lymph.