Abdominal cancers of the peritoneum may be mesothelioma which develops in the tissue lining the abdominal cavity. Though some cases of abdominal mesothelioma are believed to have resulted from radiation poisoning, the vast majority of incidents of abdominal mesothelioma have been caused by asbestos exposure. Typically abdominal mesothelioma appears sooner 30 to 50 years after asbestos exposure. When abdominal or peritoneal mesothelioma does appear after its 'incubation', the most common symptoms are shortness of breath, chest and/or abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, coughing, and an unusual swelling of the abdomen.

The Treatment of Peritoneal Mesotheliomas is even more problematic; until recently no consistent treatment was available. At our institution, peritoneal mesotheliomas have been managed in the experimental setting with combined modality treatment consisting of extensive (usually not complete) debulking surgery, followed by intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy followed in turn by whole abdominal radiation therapy. Current Treatment & Experimental Treatment Trials at the Columbia University - Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma is the name given to the cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen. This type of cancer is caused by asbestos exposure, and it affects the lining that protects the contents of the abdomen and which also provides a lubricating fluid to enable the organs to move and work properly. This disease is sometimes referred to as diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma, and this is where the cancer has spread out. Accountable for around ten percent of mesothelioma cases, this type asbestos-related cancer is the second most common (after Pleural Mesothelioma).

Peritoneal Mesothelioma (Abdominal Mesothelioma) is a rare disease. The total number of cases per year in the United States is estimated between 100 and 500. There are no epidemiologic clues to its causation or association except that a small percentage of patients have a history of asbestos exposure. Because of the frequent dissemination of pleural mesothelioma to the peritoneal cavity, one must rule out spread from a primary pleural malignancy as the cause of disease.

Cystic Mesothelioma of The Peritoneum: JD O'Neil, PR Ros, BL Storm, JL Buck and EJ Wilkinson, Department of Radiology, University of Florida, Gainesville. Cystic mesothelioma (CM) of the peritoneum is a rare, benign neoplasm that occurs predominantly in women and tends to recur locally. It has received little attention (to our knowledge, a single case report) in the radiology literature. Five cases of CM are presented. Computed tomography (CT) was performed in three cases, ultrasound (US) in four cases, and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in one case. Twenty-eight cases reported in the literature are reviewed for comparison

Abdominal mesothelioma, also known as peritoneal mesothelioma, is one form of a rare asbestos-linked cancer, mesothelioma. The abdominal mesothelioma, as the name suggests, is a cancer of the tissues in the abdominal cavity. Abdominal mesothelioma generally affects men ages 50-70, although women make up about one-fifth of all abdominal mesothelioma cases. Abdominal pains, abdominal weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal swelling are all abdominal mesothelioma symptoms.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is found in the abdomen in a thin membrane called the peritoneum. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rapidly fatal primary peritoneal malignancy with an average survival time of less than 1 year, mainly because there is no truly curative treatment currently available. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a tumor of this peritoneal membrane. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, and weakness. Sometimes, however, a patient can have a relatively advanced case of this disease and experience no symptoms whatsoever. The only known cause to this disease is exposure to asbestos.

Chrysotile mesothelioma is a form of peritoneal mesothelioma. It is a specific cancer of the abdomen and is caused by exposure to asbestos. When small chrysotile fibers are inhaled and become lodged in the lung, they can cause a mesothelioma that manifests itself in the peritoneum, particularly the lining that surrounds the stomach. The tumors that develop on the lining that surrounds the stomach limit the space available for the stomach to expand and move.

The most common type of mesothelioma is the Pleural Mesothelioma. The pleura is a thin membrane found between the lungs and the chest cavity. Another form of mesothelioma is the Peritoneal Mesothelioma. The peritoneum is the membrane that encloses the organs of the abdomen. While peritoneal mesotheliomas are less common than pleural mesotheliomas, they tend to be more invasive, and thus result in a shorter life expectancy for the patient.