Mesothelioma Questions

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that begins in the tissue that lines different organs and spaces inside the body. This tissue is called Mesothelium and protects organs by making special fluid that allows the organ to move. This type of tissue surrounds the lungs, stomach, heart and other organs. The mesothelium of the chest is called the pleura and the mesothelium of the abdomen is called the peritoneum. The mesothelium of the space around the heart is known as the pericardium. Cancerous tumors can start in any of these places. These tumors are called malignant mesothelioma or simply mesothelioma. Mesotheliomas are divided into 3 sub-types. These sub-types are based on cell type and are epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and mixed/biphasic. The epithelioid type accounts for about 50 to 70% of malignant mesotheliomas. Sarcomatoid account for 7 to 20% and mixed/biphasic 20 to 35% of the sub-types of mesotheliomas. Pleural mesotheliomas (tumors that start in the chest) comprise about ¾ of all mesotheliomas. Another 10 to 20% begin in the abdomen (peritoneal mesotheliomas). Pericardial mesotheliomas start in the cavity surrounding the heart and are very rare.