Searches for Mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma, pericardium mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma, mesothelioma attorney, mesothelioma lawyer
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About Pericardial Mesothelioma - Pericardial mesothelioma is the least common form of malignant mesothelioma. It only accounts for 5% to 15% of all mesotheliomas. It affects the membrane lining the heart called the pericardium or pericardial sac. Your doctor may initially identify solid masses and effusion around the pericardium. Pericardial effusion is an accumulation of fluid in the sac that surrounds the heart. These effusions can be a sign of the cancer but in many cases may not be related to mesothelioma.
The pericardium or pericardial sac is the membrane that surrounds the heart. The pericardium are cells that produce a lubricating fluid that protect the heart and allow the heart to move freely when it is pumping blood to other parts of your body.
Pericardial mesothelioma is usually related to long term asbestos exposure. It generally appears fifteen to forty years after the exposure occurred and its early symptoms are subtle. Symptoms like chest pain, dyspnea, cough, palpitations and
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other generic symptoms can be the early signs of pericardial mesothelioma, and typically symptoms grow more severe as the condition worsens. By the time pericardial mesothelioma is diagnosed the cancer is usually at an advanced stage. Unfortunately, even though new treatments are constantly being developed, the outlook for patients with pericardial mesothelioma is not good.
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Patients displaying the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma are usually given either an X-Ray or a CT scan to look for evidence of pericardial mesothelioma. Growths or abnormalities in the tissue around the heart lead to an attempt to diagnose pericardial mesothelioma through biopsy surgery. Once a thorough assessment of the Once pericardial cancer is diagnosed, the first task that concerns doctors is determining the stage of the disease so that an appropriate treatment can be determined. Doctors chart mesothelioma into five stages; stage I to stage VI. For more information on the stages click here. From there the pericardial mesothelioma patient and the doctor will discuss possible treatment options; including whether to attempt to defeat the pericardial mesothelioma or just to improve the patient's quality of life for the time remaining. Decisions about pericardial mesothelioma usually involve consideration of the patient's age and condition, the stage to
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which the pericardial mesothelioma has advanced, and tumor size and location. Most patients are in advanced stages of pericardial mesothelioma at the time of diagnosis and therefore opt for surgery to address the discomfort that pericardial mesothelioma causes.
While pericardial mesothelioma has not been definitively linked to asbestos exposure, the indications are strong that pericardial mesothelioma is related to asbestos, as are the other forms of mesothelioma.
Patients with pericardial mesothelioma may be eligible to recover medical fees and other costs associated with pericardial mesothelioma from parties proven responsible for asbestos exposure.
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