Pericardial and Testicular Mesothelioma : The Two Rarest Forms of Mesothelioma
Out of all of the different types of mesothelioma, pericardial and testicular are the rarest. Though a cancer that typically attacks the lungs, mesothelioma can come in a variety of shapes and forms, while attacking other parts of the body including the abdomen and testicles. Pericardial mesothelioma and testicular mesothelioma account for less than 2 percent of all reported mesothelioma cases. Because of the rarity of these forms of mesothelioma, not a lot of research exists about them. Confusion surrounds the root causes of these cancers because it is difficult to determine whether pericardial and testicular mesothelioma sufferers actually came in direct contact with asbestos-containing substances and/or fibers.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma is a very rare form of mesothelioma that attacks the heart. Currently, only 200 cases of pericardial mesothelioma have been discussed in medical literature. While asbestos exposure is always to blame for mesothelioma it is extremely difficult to trace how asbestos-containing fibers are able to travel from the lungs all the way to the heart. Symptoms of this form of mesothelioma can take between 1 and 5 decades to appear. Typical symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue. These symptoms are often wrongly diagnosed. Like other types of cancers, treatment for pericardial mesothelioma includes radiation treatment, surgery to remove the malignant cancer cells and chemotherapy. There is about a 50 percent survival rate for pericardial mesothelioma sufferers.
Testicular Mesothelioma
Testicular mesothelioma is the rarest form of mesothelioma and attacks the membrane of the testicle’s outer lining. Less than 1% percent of all reported mesothelioma cases are testicular mesothelioma. As a result information about this type of mesothelioma is extremely rare, however those who are diagnosed with this form of mesothelioma have higher survival rates than those diagnosed with other forms of mesothelioma. This disease is extremely puzzling for physicians because a predominant number of sufferers do not seem to have been exposed to asbestos.
The lack of available information about testicular mesothelioma has made it difficult to generalize about symptoms that can arise from this form of cancer. In fact testicular mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed as a hernia, and many are only properly diagnosed while going through testicular surgery. However, the one common symptom that has been reported is a swollen testicle caused by fluid buildup in the scrotum. Treatment for testicular mesothelioma usually involves the removal of either a portion or the entire testicle. Often times surgery is followed by radiation treatment or chemotherapy in order to terminate any remaining cancer cells. Sadly, the above treatments are not always enough to treat testicular mesothelioma. This is because testicular mesothelioma often involves both a secondary tumor in the testicles, as well as a primary tumor in the abdomen that must also be treated.
Concerned that you may have mesothelioma or any other asbestos exposure related illnesses? Contact an asbestos exposure attorney today.