Mesothelioma Cancer
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. The latest information indicates most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.
The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a fluid that lubricates the area between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
This cancer of the mesothelium is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. Information indicates they can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Mesothelioma cells can also metastasize, or spread, from to other parts of the body. Most cases begin in the pleura or peritoneum, according to medical information.
Although information on reported incidence rates show an increase in the past 20 years, it is still a relatively rare cancer. Information indicates between 2,000 and 3,000 new cases of this cancer are diagnosed in the US every year. It occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age, according to the latest information. |
