Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer almost always found to be caused by asbestos exposure. The word Mesothelioma is derived from the word mesothelium which is a protective membrane that covers much of the internal organs in the human body. Mesothelioma is a cancer that develops malignant cells in the mesothelium.
There are five known types of Mesothelioma:
- Pleural Mesothelioma
- Peritoneal Mesothelioma
- Pericardial Mesothelioma
- Testicular Mesothelioma
- Benign Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma
develops in the pleural (lining of the lungs) and is the most common form of malignant Mesothelioma and accounts for nearly 70 percent of all Mesothelioma cases.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
develops in the peritoneum or peritoneal membrane (lining of the abdominal cavity) and is responsible for about 25 percent of the Mesothelioma cases.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
develops in the pericardium (lining of the heart) and is responsible for about 5 percent of the Mesothelioma cases.
Testicular Mesothelioma
develops in the tunica vaginalis (protective lining around the testicles) and is the rarest of all the known forms of Mesothelioma. Testicular Mesothelioma is responsible for less than 100 cases as of the current date and publication of this information.
Benign Mesothelioma
is generally the early stages of Mesothelioma and because it is in the early stages it has a greater chance of being cured through various treatment options. Benign Mesothelioma is most commonly found in the pleura and can be considered the early stages of malignant pleural Mesothelioma. Although benign Mesothelioma is generally passive in nature compared to malignant Mesothelioma, it may be the beginning of future asbestos related problems such as the four different types of malignant Mesothelioma mentioned above.