What Is Malignant Mesothelioma?
Cancerous mesothelioma is a cancers that starts in cellular material in the linings of the body, especially in the linings of the chest or abdomen.
Cancers starts when cells learn to grow out of control. Cells in practically any part of the body can become cancer. To learn more about how precisely types of cancer start and spread, see What Is Cancer?
The mesothelium
A layer of specialized cells called mesothelial cells lines the inside of the chest, the abdomen, and the space around your heart. These types of cells also cover the outer surface of almost all of your internal organs. The liner formed by these cells is called the mesothelium.
The mesothelium helps protect your organs by making a special lubricating fluid that allows bodily organs to go against each other. For example, this liquid makes it easier for your lungs to move (expand and contract) inside the chest when you breathe. The mesothelium has different names in several parts of the body:
The pleura coats the bronchi and the space in the chest containing the lungs.
The peritoneum lines the inside of the abdomen and lots of the bodily organs in the abdomen.
The pericardium covers the center and creates the area that holds the heart in the chest.
The tunica vaginalis lines the testicles.
Mesothelial tumors can start in any of the linings. These tumors can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancer (malignant).
Malignant mesothelioma cancers
A cancerous tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma, although this can be shortened to just mesothelioma. Mesotheliomas can start in 4 main areas in the body.
Pleural mesotheliomas start in the chest. About 3 away of 4 mesotheliomas are pleural mesotheliomas.
Peritoneal mesotheliomas get started in the stomach. They make up almost all of the remaining cases.
Pericardial mesotheliomas start in the covering around the cardiovascular system and are incredibly rare.
Mesotheliomas of the tunica vaginalis are incredibly rare tumors that start in the protecting layer of the testicles.
Malignant mesotheliomas can be categorized into 3 main types based how the cancers cells are arranged:
Regarding half of mesotheliomas are epithelioid. This type is inclined to have an improved view (prognosis) than the other types.
About 10% of mesotheliomas are sarcomatoid (fibrous).
Mixed (biphasic) mesotheliomas have both epithelioid and sarcomatoid areas. They make the remaining 30% to forty percent of mesotheliomas.
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