Mesothelioma Attorney
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a form of cancer that affects the abdominal lining of the body. This lining is called the peritoneum, hence the name of the cancer. Because of the peritoneum’s location in the abdomen, peritoneal mesothelioma is frequently referred to as abdominal mesothelioma. The peritoneum supports and covers the internal organs of the abdomen like the stomach, liver, pancreas, and the small intestine.
The peritoneum is divided into two parts. The first is the visceral peritoneum. This part of the peritoneum covers the internal organs and actually makes up most of the outer layer of the intestinal track. The parietal peritoneum, or the second part, covers the abdominal cavity.
Like the lining of the lungs, the cells that are in the peritoneum secrete a fluid which allows the organs to move against each other without problems. As an example, the stomach contracts during digestion and moves against its neighbors without friction because of this fluid. The cells of the mesothelium, which is what the peritoneum is, are designed to create fluids but the cancerous cells of mesothelioma cause them to overproduce fluids. This leads to a build-up of excess fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Pleural mesothelioma is the much more common form of mesothelioma. Because of this, in individuals with peritoneal mesothelioma, it is important to determine if pleural mesothelioma is the primary cancer and the peritoneal mesothelioma is an outgrowth of the original.
It is not quite known how peritoneal mesothelioma is formed. The first hypothesis is that the when the asbestos fibers are ingested, they wiggle themselves through the intestine’s walls and into the peritoneal cavity and peritoneum. The other theory is that when asbestos fibers are inhaled, they are transported to the peritoneal cavity by the lymph node system.
Contact a Mesothelioma Attorney
If you have been diagnosed with any form of mesothelioma, contact the mesothelioma attorney of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341.
