Mesothelioma is cancer of the mesothelial lining. This lining is a thin membrane of cells that surrounds the heart, lungs, stomach, abdomen and testicles, producing a lubricating fluid that protects the organs as they function.
While there are a number of different types of mesothelioma, the treatment for all but one of them. benign mesothelioma, is typically the same. One type of mesothelioma is called biphasic mesothelioma, and as the name might suggest, it is really a blend of two types of mesothelioma: epithelial mesothelioma, and sarcomatoid mesothelioma.
How does Biphasic Mesothelioma Form?
Like other forms of mesothelioma, biphasic mesothelioma overwhelmingly begins with asbestos exposure. When a person develops mesothelioma, the cancer cells can be classified as either epithelioid cells or sarcomatoid cells. They are both deadly and are distinguished by their shape and the appearance of the nucleus. When a person has both epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells present in their tumor(s), either mixed together or epithelioid in one area of the tumor and sarcomatoid in another area, the type of mesothelioma is called biphasic.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Symptoms
The symptoms for biphasic mesothelioma are the same as those of other types of malignant mesothelioma and depend, in part, on the area where the cancer is growing:
- Heart (biphasic pericardial mesothelioma): chest or heart pain or pressure, heart palpitations, persistent dry cough, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever, night sweats.
- Lungs (biphasic pleural mesothelioma): chest or back pain or pressure, difficulty breathing, persistent dry cough, wheezing, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever, night sweats.
- Stomach or abdomen (biphasic peritoneal mesothelioma): stomach or abdomen pain or pressure, nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever, night sweats, intestinal blockage.
Diagnosis
Typically, a patient with the symptoms above will undergo diagnostic procedures such as an x-ray, CT scan and/or MRI and a tumor, mass, or build up of fluid will be discovered. Then, a biopsy of the mass or fluid will be conducted. There are a number of different methods for doing a biopsy: some involve removing fluid with a large needle, others involve surgery. If a tumor is biopsied, it will likely have samples removed from several different areas of it.
Once the tissue or fluid has been removed, it will be sent to a laboratory where a pathologist will examine it under a microscope and likely run other tests on it, such as immunohistochemistry. When the pathologist determines that the cells in the tumor are both epithelioid and sarcomatoid, a diagnosis of biphasic mesothelioma will be made.
Biphasic mesothelioma is typically easier to diagnose than sarcomatoid mesothelioma alone because sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells can resemble those of other cancers and cause a misdiagnosis. But when the distinctive epithelioid cells are also present, then mesothelioma is indicated.
Treatment
Treatment for biphasic mesothelioma depends on:
- Which organ or area of the body is affected
- Which stage the disease is in (how far it has spread)
- The overall condition of the patient
- The wishes of the patient and his or her family
- Other miscellaneous considerations
Treatment falls into two categories:
Curative - this term is misleading because no cure for mesothelioma currently exists. The term is used because treatments that are used for mesothelioma, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery may cure other types of cancer. One or a combination of these therapies may be used in an effort to slow the spread of biphasic mesothelioma to other organs.
New treatments for mesothelioma are in the research and clinical trial phases. These are called experimental therapies and there is hope that one day, one of them may really cure mesothelioma.
Palliative - palliative treatments for biphasic mesothelioma include methods to reduce pain, make a patient more comfortable, ease anxiety and stress, and improve overall health without specifically trying to cure the mesothelioma. Such treatments could include a special diet, oxygen therapy, massage therapy, yoga, prayer, psychological counseling, or various other methods.
Survival
There is no cure for biphasic mesothelioma and treatments slow the progression of the disease at best. The disease has a long latency period. This means that many years may pass between the person being exposed to asbestos and developing symptoms. But even before symptoms are present, cancer may be in the body. Because of this long latency period, the disease is most often diagnosed in an advanced stage and progresses very quickly.
Some victims die within weeks of being diagnosed; others may live for five years or longer. The average person diagnosed with mesothelioma lives about one year.