The pericardial mesothelium, known as the pericardium, is the membrane or fluid-filled sac that surrounds the heart and protects it. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the mesothelium and is caused by exposure or contact with asbestos. Pericardial mesothelioma (or mesothelioma) is a rare type of cancer of the pericardium. According to Asbestos.com, pericardial mesothelioma comprises 1 to 6 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
Causes
The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure or contact with asbestos for long periods, either in the work place or at home. There are various kinds of asbestos, the most common being anthophyllite, chrysotile, tremolite, actinolite, amosite and tremolite. Asbestos has been around for a long time, since the Romans and the Greeks discovered it was easy to mine and was durable and heat resistant.
Asbestos fibers are microscopic and can become airborne if they are disrupted. These fibers are easily inhaled and ingested without the person's knowledge. These fibers penetrate the mesothelium and tumors are formed which become cancerous. In pericardial mesothelioma, the asbestos fibers develop a scar tissue in the pericaridium and develop into cancer cells which cause inflammation in the heart cavity.
Symptoms
The latency period of pericardial mesothelioma is long, as for the other forms of mesothelioma. The symptoms are often slow to show and many are non-existent. The symptoms of this disease are similar to cardiovascular diseases and do not really develop until after it has spread to the lung area. The most common symptoms are coughing, shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain and irregular heartbeat.
Diagnosis
Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose, but the earlier the diagnosis, the better are the chances of the patient's responding to treatment and medicines. The diagnosis is based on various imaging tests like MRI, CT scan and X-ray imaging. These images help the doctor to diagnose whether the patient's symptoms are due to pericardial mesothelioma and, if so, it helps in localizing the cancer and finding the stage of cancer so that it can be treated correctly.
Treatment
Various treatments for pericardial mesothelioma exist. Radiation and chemotherapy are the most common forms of treating this disease. Fine needle aspiration is a low-risk procedure carried out to provide relief from pain and discomfort to the patient from the fluid that accumulates in the pericardial cavity. Surgery for the removal of cancer cells is also carried out in some cases, but usually it does not lead to removal of all the cancer cells.
Alternative Therapies
In many cases, since the latency of the disease is long, the patients are elderly and may not be able to take radiation and chemotherapy treatment well. Alternate therapies, such as massage, acupuncture, acupressure, reiki, yoga, nutritional supplements, meditation and hypnotherapy, help in relieving the discomfort and pain caused by pericardial mesothelioma. These therapies can also be taken along with medical treatment and have no side effects, but it should be remembered that different patients react differently to all types of treatments.
