Peritoneal Mesothelioma

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What Is Peritoneal Mesothelioma?

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the lining of the abdomen.

Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer accounts for 10-15% of all mesothelioma cases in the United States, making it the second-most common type.

Veterans run the risk of peritoneal mesothelioma since all branches of the U.S. military relied on asbestos-containing products to build bases, ships, and vehicles up through the early 1980s.

Key Facts About Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

• The average life expectancy is 53 months with treatment, which is the highest of any type.
• Up to 450 cases are diagnosed per year in the U.S.
• Abdominal mesothelioma is more common in women, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center.
• Veterans with abdominal mesothelioma may qualify for $1 million or more in compensation and low-cost or free health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Get a Free Veterans Packet to explore VA benefits, treatments, and compensation options if you or a veteran you love has peritoneal mesothelioma.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Symptoms

Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms typically appear 10-50 years after exposure to asbestos fibers.

One of the most common symptoms is fluid buildup in the abdominal lining, known as peritoneal effusion or ascites. Between 60% and 100% of new peritoneal mesothelioma patients have ascites, according to The Annals of Translational Medicine.

Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include:

• Abdominal pain
• Anemia (low red blood cell count)
• Breathing difficulties
• Constantly feeling full
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Night sweats
• Swelling of the peritoneal cavity
• Weight loss

"I had a big weight loss in just a few months. After I ate, I was so uncomfortable and very bloated. I was tired all the time. I had the sweats."

– Mary Jane Williams, 15-year peritoneal mesothelioma survivor

Many symptoms can be mistaken for more common illnesses, like the flu, celiac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

For this reason, it’s important to seek out an abdominal mesothelioma specialist to ensure you haven’t been misdiagnosed. This is especially true if you were ever exposed to asbestos and now have any of these symptoms.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Causes

The only known cause of peritoneal mesothelioma is breathing in or swallowing asbestos fibers. After these fibers enter the body, they can travel to the abdomen, become embedded in the peritoneum, and eventually cause cancer.

Asbestos fibers can remain in the lining of the abdomen for decades before the irritation triggers mutations in healthy mesothelial cells, causing them to divide and grow at out-of-control rates.

Millions of service members worked with or around products containing asbestos every day without knowing the risks, which the manufacturers hid. After serving, they often faced exposure in blue-collar civilian jobs like construction.

“It’s unfortunate that asbestos companies were not forthcoming to protect my dad because he left my life, I believe, earlier than he should have.”

– Jeff Ambrose, son of an Army veteran & peritoneal mesothelioma patient

Do you or a U.S. veteran you love have peritoneal mesothelioma? Call (877) 450-8973 now for help securing VA benefits, medical care, and compensation

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Since abdominal mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, it can be difficult to diagnose. Doctors must follow specific steps to confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis.

• Physical exam: Upon experiencing abdominal symptoms, veterans should report them to their doctor and get a physical.
• Imaging scans: An X-ray or CT scan of the abdomen may expose tumors or potential signs of cancer, like ascites.
• Biopsy: During a biopsy, doctors take a sample of tissue from the peritoneum. A biopsy is the only way to confirm a peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis.

Since they are a high-risk group for this disease, veterans should inform their doctors about any possible asbestos exposure and get regular cancer screenings. An early diagnosis can significantly increase a veteran’s chance of survival.

“Peritoneal mesothelioma is a serious disease, but if it is diagnosed early and treated aggressively, there can be positive outcomes.”

– Dr. Daniel Labow, peritoneal mesothelioma specialist

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Cell Types

After obtaining a biopsy sample, a pathologist will examine it in a lab to determine whether the cells are cancerous and which mesothelioma cell type the patient has.

There are three mesothelioma cell types, and each affects a patient’s health outlook in different ways.

Mesothelioma cell types are:

• Epithelioid peritoneal mesothelioma: This is the most common type. Epithelial mesothelioma cells are cube-shaped and stick together, making this type easier to treat.
• Sarcomatoid peritoneal mesothelioma: This is the rarest cell type. Spindle-shaped sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells spread quickly and respond poorly to treatment.
• Biphasic peritoneal mesothelioma: This type occurs when a patient’s tumors contain both epithelioid than sarcomatoid cells. Patients have better health outcomes if more epithelioid cells are in a biphasic mesothelioma tumor.

Peritoneal mesothelioma doctors can recommend the best treatments depending on which cell type you have and how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Staging

There is no official staging system for peritoneal mesothelioma due to its rarity. However, doctors typically consider peritoneal mesothelioma to be in a localized or advanced stage, depending on the cancer’s spread.

Some doctors have also proposed using the peritoneal cancer index (PCI) to stage this cancer. With the PCI, cancer spread is “scored.” A greater score means a higher stage.

The 4 peritoneal mesothelioma stages under the PCI are:

• Stage 1: score of 1-10, no average survival time given
• Stage 2: score of 11-20, average survival of 67 months
• Stage 3: score of 21-30, average survival of 56 months
• Stage 4: score of 31-39, average survival of 26 months

Doctors can recommend treatments to help you live as long as possible and ease symptoms depending on how far the cancer has spread.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis

Peritoneal mesothelioma has a favorable prognosis (overall health outlook) compared to other types of this cancer.

The average peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis is nearly 4 and a half years if patients qualify for the most effective treatments. In some cases, peritoneal mesothelioma patients have lived for 20 years or more, becoming long-term survivors.

“We've made a lot of progress in terms of our ability to diagnose and understand this cancer and to put together treatments that can allow people to live with a good quality of life for an extended period of time.”

– Dr. H. Richard Alexander, peritoneal mesothelioma specialist & U.S. Navy veteran

Learn how doctors measure peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis below.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival Rate

Survival rate measures the percentage of patients still living after a specific time. The average 5-year peritoneal mesothelioma survival rate is 65%, according to Moffitt Cancer Center.

When patients get a treatment called cytoreduction with HIPEC and additional chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate reaches 80%, according to a 2022 Journal of Clinical Haematology report.

You could potentially outlive the average peritoneal mesothelioma survival rates with treatment.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Life Expectancy

Peritoneal mesothelioma has a favorable life expectancy, with patients living for 53 months (nearly 4 and a half years) on average after receiving a treatment called cytoreduction with heated chemotherapy (HIPEC).

In some cases, treatments like cytoreduction with HIPEC have allowed peritoneal mesothelioma patients to live for decades.

Get our Free Veterans Packet now to learn more about treatment options that may help you live longer with peritoneal mesothelioma.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment

Doctors use different types of treatments to help peritoneal mesothelioma patients live as long as possible. Learn about top peritoneal mesothelioma treatment options that could help you or a loved one.

Cytoreduction With HIPEC

Cytoreduction with HIPEC is the most effective treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma, allowing doctors to remove as much of the cancer as possible.

This treatment combines:

1. Surgery: Mesothelioma surgeons remove tumors from the patient’s abdominal cavity, as well as the lining of the abdomen.
2. Heated chemotherapy: Doctors apply hyperthermic interthoracic chemotherapy (HIPEC) to the surgery site to kill any leftover cancer cells.

Peritoneal mesothelioma patients typically live for over 4 years with this treatment, with some living even longer.

“For patients referred very early, I would say we are successful nearly 100% of the time. We can get a complete cytoreduction with the primary cancer resection, removing the peritoneal metastases and using HIPEC. We can almost promise those patients that they will not have further peritoneal metastases.”

—Dr. Paul Sugarbaker, retired peritoneal mesothelioma Specialist

Other Peritoneal Mesothelioma Surgeries

If cytoreduction with HIPEC isn’t an option, doctors may still be able to use other surgeries to help patients live longer.

Additional peritoneal mesothelioma surgeries include:

• Peritonectomy: Also called debulking, this operation removes the whole lining of the abdomen. It’s performed as part of cytoreduction with HIPEC but can also be used alone to help patients.
• Bowel resection: This procedure removes parts of the intestines affected by advanced cancer.
• Organ removal: This involves surgery to remove any nonessential abdominal organs affected by cancer, like the spleen and kidneys.

Doctors can determine which peritoneal mesothelioma surgeries will be best for you when developing a treatment plan.

Chemotherapy

If cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC isn’t an option, doctors may use systemic chemotherapy to treat peritoneal mesothelioma patients.

Chemotherapy drugs for peritoneal mesothelioma include:

• Alimta® (pemetrexed)
• Carboplatin
• Cisplatin
• Gemzar® (gemcitabine)

Doctors can also use additional chemotherapy treatments to boost the effectiveness of cytoreduction with HIPEC.

Patient survival times increased by 48% when they received chemotherapy after cytoreduction with HIPEC in a 2023 study from The Annals of Surgical Oncology.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses beams of energy to shrink and destroy mesothelioma tumors.

Doctors typically use peritoneal mesothelioma radiation as a pain-relieving option, according to a 2023 report from The Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy helps the body’s immune system find and destroy cancer tumors. This treatment is currently only available to peritoneal mesothelioma patients in clinical trials, which are studying how it can improve survival.

In a 2023 study from The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, doctors used immunotherapy alongside cytoreduction with HIPEC to treat peritoneal mesothelioma patients.

This combination proved to be safe and effective, with some patients still living cancer-free nearly 3 years after receiving the treatment.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

Doctors continue to study new and potentially more effective ways of treating peritoneal mesothelioma through clinical trials.

New treatments being investigated include:

• Gene therapy: Modifies genes so mesothelioma can more easily be destroyed
• Photodynamic therapy: Using medications that make cancer easier to kill when exposed to a light source
• Targeted therapy: Help to destroy cancer while doing less damage to healthy parts of the body

A 2021 study from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center combined the targeted therapies atezolizumab and bevacizumab to treat peritoneal mesothelioma.

This treatment was highly effective, with tumors shrinking in 40% of cases. Additionally, 85% of patients were still alive a year after starting this treatment.

Palliative Care

Palliative care is pain-relieving treatment for mesothelioma. Doctors can use mesothelioma palliative care alongside standard treatments to help patients have a better quality of life.

Types of mesothelioma palliative care options include:

• Paracentesis (draining peritoneal effusions)
• Medications to help ease discomfort
• Minor surgeries

Palliative care may also be the main treatment a patient receives, depending on how advanced the cancer is.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Doctors

Peritoneal mesothelioma specialists across the country treat veterans and civilians every day. By working with them, you can get the expert care needed to live as long as possible.

Top peritoneal mesothelioma doctors include:

• 

  Dr. Eugene Choi

  • Houston, TX
  • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
  • Associate Professor of Surgery

• 

  Dr. Daniel Labow

  • Danbury, CT
  • Nuvance Health Praxair Cancer Center
  • Chair of Surgical Services

• 

  Dr. James Pingpank

  • Pittsburg, PA
  • UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
  • Gastrointestinal Surgery Division Director

• 

  Dr. H. Richard Alexander

  • New Brunswick, NJ
  • Rutgers Cancer Institute
  • Chief of Surgical Oncology & U.S. Navy veteran

• 

  Dr. Hedy Lee Kindler

  • Chicago, IL
  • University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Mesothelioma Program Director

• 

  Dr. Mecker Moller

  • Chicago, IL
  • University of Chicago Cancer Center
  • Director, Regional Therapies Program

Find top peritoneal mesothelioma specialists near you now by using our Free Doctor Match.

VA Benefits and Compensation for Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Veterans with peritoneal mesothelioma often qualify for the maximum benefits offered by the VA. They may also be able to secure additional compensation through the legal system.

Financial options for veterans with peritoneal mesothelioma include:

• VA benefits: The VA offers 100% disability compensation worth $4,044.91 a month to married veterans with mesothelioma. Veterans can also get free or low-cost medical treatment through VA health care. We can help you file for or increase your VA benefits.
• Mesothelioma lawsuits: These lawsuits award $1 million or more on average. Our legal partners can help you file a lawsuit with ease if eligible. No legal action is taken against the government or military, and you can still file for VA benefits.
• Asbestos trust funds: These funds were established by manufacturers of asbestos-containing products to avoid lawsuits. There’s over $30 billion set aside in the trusts, and our partner attorneys can help you file claims right now.

It’s important for veterans with peritoneal mesothelioma to explore their financial options, as treating this disease can cost $400,000 or more — which may be overwhelming for many families.

“My dad died unlawfully due to peritoneal mesothelioma, and I appreciate what our law firm was able to do for us. I appreciate that they’re trying to help the people who have been diagnosed to gain more life with their loved ones.”

– Jeff Ambrose, son of an Army veteran & peritoneal mesothelioma patient

Contact us now for help pursuing VA benefits and compensation after a peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis.

We’re Here to Help Veterans With Peritoneal Mesothelioma

U.S. veterans were put at risk of peritoneal mesothelioma through no fault of their own. While peritoneal mesothelioma is devastating, it’s possible for you or a veteran you love to fight back.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center is ready to assist veterans and their families in securing the VA benefits, compensation, and justice they deserve.

Work with our team to:

• Access maximum VA benefits
• Find top doctors and treatments
• Pursue legal compensation worth $1 million+
• Receive support as you navigate a diagnosis

Our veterans advocates will do all they can to help you and your loved ones.

Call (877) 450-8973 now or request a Free Veterans Packet, shipped overnight to your door, to get started.