Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment by Expert Doctors at Mercy

Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the peritoneum, a thin membrane that covers most of the abdominal / stomach organs. It is linked to asbestos exposure.

Peritoneal mesothelioma can spread to tissues and over the peritoneal lining of the abdomen. It sometimes spreads to other organs such as the liver and lungs, as well as to the bones.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose. The disease often presents with symptoms similar to other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, hernia and other abdominal cancers.

Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma often show symptoms of abdominal pain, abdominal distention with increasing abdominal girth, ascites (excessive fluid accumulation in the abdomen), weight loss and abdominal masses. These symptoms, however, may be mistaken for other benign conditions of the abdomen, which may lead to delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Other symptoms may include:

• Anemia – low blood count
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea and or constipation
• Thrombocytosis – elevated platelet count
• Hypoglycemia – low blood sugar
• Venous thrombosis – blood clots

Diagnosing Peritoneal Mesothelioma

To determine the best treatment option, your doctor may take a full medical history, conduct a physical exam and order a wide range of tests.

Peritoneal mesothelioma may be diagnosed with:

• CT scans and MRI scans
• Blood Tests
• Abdominal / Stomach Biopsies

Many times the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma occurs when a patient is undergoing a surgical procedure for another condition such as appendix surgery, gall bladder removal or hernia repair. In these situations, abdominal tissue is biopsied and malignant mesothelioma growth is found in the specimen. These asymptomatic patients may be candidates for state-of-the-art cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC. Mercy surgical oncologists believe this to be the best treatment option for most patients.

Treatment options for peritoneal mesothelioma depend on several factors, including overall health of the patient and the stage of the cancer. Treatment often includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

If the cancer is in an advanced stage, cytoreductive surgery combined with HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) may be used. Mercy's cancer surgeons are among the Mid-Atlantic region’s top rated experts for the HIPEC procedure and offer years of experience in treating patients with peritoneal mesothelioma with heated chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery.