Understanding the Types of Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer

Malignant Biphasic Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma occurs when cancerous cells form in the pleura, which is a thin layer of tissue covering the lungs and lining the chest cavity. Mesothelioma can also develop if cancerous cells form in the peritoneum, which lines the abdomen and covers most of its organs.

Risk factors for malignant mesothelioma include

• Working or living in a place where asbestos is inhaled or swallowed
• Living with an individual who works near asbestos

Most people experience symptoms of mesothelioma 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure. Symptoms of malignant mesothelioma include weight loss, lumps in the abdomen, pain or swelling in the abdomen, difficulty breathing, and pain under the rib cage.

Men are more likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma than women. Mesothelioma is diagnosed through a physical exam, chest x-ray, sedimentation rate, complete blood count, cytologic exam, bronchoscopy or biopsy such as a thoracoscopy, thoracotomy, laparotomy or fine needle aspiration biopsy.

Malignant mesothelioma is divided into three types including sarcomatoid mesothelioma, biphasic mesothelioma and epithelioid mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma types are then separated into subtypes under each category. Many mesothelioma patients will have more than one cell type.

Malignant biphasic mesothelioma, also known as mixed biphasic mesothelioma, makes up 46% to 63% of all mesothelioma cases. Biphasic mesothelioma is a combination of epithelioid and sarcomatoid mesothelioma cancer subtypes. It contains two very different mesothelioma cell types, making it easier to diagnose than epithelioid or sarcomatoid mesothelioma. Basically, if a patient has biphasic mesothelioma, they are diagnosed with both sarcomatoid and  epithelioid mesothelioma cancer.

Treatment options for biphasic mesothelioma are the same as other types of malignant mesothelioma. In some cases, more than one type of treatment can be used. Traditional mesothelioma treatments include radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. The treatment also depends on the stage of the cancer.

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