What are the types of malignant mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma can affect the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), heart (pericardial mesothelioma) and abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma).The chest cavity, abdominal cavity and the cavity around the heart are all lined by a layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the next most common form, and pericardial mesothelioma is the most rare.Click here for the information about treatment options for pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial mesothelioma.
There are three types of malignant mesothelioma. 1. Pleural mesothelioma attacks the lining and the cavity of the lungs. Symptoms, as the disease advances, include: chest pain as the lungs fill with fluid along with shortness of breath, a tightening sensation in the chest, persist coughing, rasping, difficulty in swallowing, coughing of blood, fever and weight loss. 2. Peritoneal mesothelioma attacks the areas in the stomach and abdomen of a person. Symptoms include: stomach pains and swelling in the abdomen, pain as severe feeling as a ruptured appendix. As the disease advances, comes intense pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, anemia, abnormal clots in the blood, weight loss, constipation, fever and vomiting. 3. Pericardial mesothelioma attacks the lining to the heart and surrounding area. This is the rarest of the types. Symptoms includes sever chest pains, palpitations, labored breathing and coughing.
