Peritoneal mesothelioma is a disease that affects the lining of the abdomen, or peritoneum. Occasionally doctors refer to this disease as mesothelioma of the peritoneum. It is a general misunderstanding that mesothelioma is a form of primary lung cancer; it is not. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the serous membranes. These membranes enclose a number of organs throughout the midsection of the body, as well as the abdomen. The most customary type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the serous membranes of the lungs.

The second most regular form of mesothelioma cancer is Peritoneal mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma can extend to the lungs and when this occurs, it is considered secondary lung cancer. Mesothelioma is also at times referred to as an asbestos lung cancer. Technically, this is also inexact, since it does not originate in the lungs. Asbestosis is a type of asbestos lung disease that does originate in the lungs and is often confused with Mesothelioma.

Peritoneal mesothelioma Cancer

Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer is found in 10 of the Mesothelioma patients. The solitary recognized cause of Mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. For pleural Mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining), the disease progression is reasonably well understood. It is initiated by the breathing of asbestos fibers that settle in the lungs. These asbestos fibers become interleaveed in the lung lining (or pleura). Asbestos fibers are very robust and cannot be eliminated through the body's processes. Over time, they cause recurring inflammation that eventually leads to growth of cancerous tumors or in some cases asbestosis.

For Peritoneal mesothelioma, it is not clearly understood how the asbestos fibers turn out to be wedged in the abdomen's peritoneum lining. It is likely that asbestos fibers, after being cracked into lesser pieces in the lungs, are carried from the lungs into the blood stream, and embed from the blood stream in the abdomen lining. A more probable basis is that asbestos fibers were consumed with food or drink. Largely asbestos mining or processing facilities had persistent clouds of asbestos fibers. These fibers may perhaps have settled on the food of the workers. Also, it is well established that several of the workers' clothing became infiltrated with asbestos dust. This dust could have polluted the kitchens of the employees as they arrived home with the polluted clothing. Once lodged in the peritoneum, the chronic inflammation process leading to cancerous growths is similar to that occurring in pleural Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma of the Testicles A infrequent form of Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the male testicles. The covering layer of the scrotum is essentially an outpouching of the peritoneum. It is accepted wisdom that the asbestos fibers migrate from the stomach area to become lodged in the portion of the peritoneum surrounding the scrotum.