Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that is found in the lining of the abdomen, which is called the peritoneum. It can also be called abdominal mesothelioma.
Significance
According to the Mesothelioma Center, peritoneal mesothelioma is rare, with only 100 to 500 new diagnoses a year in the United States. Within the broader diagnosis of mesothelioma, it accounts for 30 percent of cases, with pleural (lung) mesothelioma comprising the majority.
Symptoms
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal pain or swelling, lumps in the stomach, trouble breathing and weight loss with no apparent cause, according to the National Cancer Institute. Other symptoms can include fever, fatigue and digestive problems.
Tests for Diagnosis
Tests to help diagnose mesothelioma may consist of a chest X-ray, blood tests, a thoracoscopy (a tube for viewing is inserted into the chest) or a peritoneoscopy (a tube is inserted into the abdomen to look for abnormal tissue).
Post-Diagnosis Tests
After mesothelioma is initially diagnosed, more tests need to be done to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else in the body. Tests that help doctors determine this include a CT scan, MRI, chest X-ray and ultrasound.
Staging
According to Mesothelioma Web, peritoneal mesothelioma does not have a staging system like other cancers do. If doctors decide to stage it, it is done with the TNM system, which looks at the size of the tumor (T), if any lymph nodes are involved (N) and whether it has spread, or metastasized, anywhere else (M).
