Mesothelioma Types and Causes
Mesothelioma types or variations are named based on where it develops in the human body. Mesothelioma acquires its famous name from the mesothelium cells that are responsible for protecting and enabling easy movement of our vital organs such as lungs, heart and the abdomen in the body.
There are 3 types of mesothelioma: pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. The most common case is pleural mesothelioma which develops in the layer surrounding the lungs, followed by peritoneal mesothelioma in the abdominal region and pericardial mesothelioma which grows on the lining of the heart. Pleural mesothelioma is different from other lung cancer types as it doesn’t develop in the lungs but rather begins in the mesothelium.
Besides the mesothelioma types above there is one other type that develops in the covering of the testicles. Testicular mesothelioma is the least common type of mesothelioma. The number of reported cases of this type of mesothelioma up till now is less than a hundred.
The changes in the mesothelium cells can be benign or malignant. Benign mesothelioma is defined as non-cancerous tumors that develop locally and don’t spread to the neighboring tissues. Whilst they are normally not life threatening, there is always a risk that they can turn into malignant mesothelioma.
Malignant mesothelioma on the contrary are cancerous tumors that develop fast and can spread to the neighboring tissues. There are three kinds of cancerous mesothelium cells: Epitheloid, sarcomatoid and mixed or biphasic.
Epitheloid mesothelioma affects the membranous tissue covering the internal organs and surfaces of the body. Though majority of the mesothelioma cases occurring today belong to this type, it has the best prognosis (outlook for survival or treatment).
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma or also known as mesothelioma sarcoma arises from supportive tissues such as bones, muscles, cartilages and fats. About 7% to 20% of mesothelioma cases are of this type. Even though mesothelioma sarcoma cases are rare, they are extremely dangerous since they rarely respond to any treatment whatsoever. People diagnosed with the disease are mostly in their last and critical stages, making their treatment more difficult in comparison to other forms of cancer. The survival time ranges from six months to two years.
Mixed or biphasic mesothelioma carries both the features of the above two types and is accountable for 20% to 35% of mesothelioma cases.
Asbestos expossure is a factor responsible for most of mesothelioma types cancer, and mesothelioma treatment can be very expensive with no guarantees or promise of cure. Should you or your family suffer from this life-threatening disease you can seek help from an experienced mesothelioma attorney to see whether you can file lawsuits for seeking compensation against the companies responsible for asbestos exposure.
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