Pericardial Mesothelioma

It's one of the rarest types of asbestos-related cancers. Treatment options are few because the heart lining, which is where tumors develop, is too close to the delicate organ; however, there are some cases where surgery can help remove small tumors.

Pericardial mesothelioma develops in the thin membrane surrounding the heart, known as the pericardium. The membrane has two layers: A outer layer called the parietal layer, heart sac or theca cordis; and an inner layer known as the visceral layer or epicardium.
There are four common forms of mesothelioma, and pericardial and testicular are the rarest. To date, approximately 200 cases of pericardial mesothelioma are presented in medical literature - that's 1 percent of all known diagnosed mesotheliomas.
Almost all mesothelioma cancers can be traced to asbestos exposure, but medical researchers continue to study the link between asbestos and cancer of the pericardium. Studies are clear on how inhaled microscopic fibers reach the lungs, but less clear on how the fibers reach the heart.
This form of cancer strikes twice as many men as women, and is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 50 and 70. Like the other forms of this cancer, the disease develops over a long period of time — one to five decades — and is typically discovered at a later stage. Symptoms include chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath. Diagnosis is difficult because symptoms mimic those of other disorders.

Pericardial treatment options: Surgery (if a patient is deemed healthy enough), chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of all three modalities. About half of the people who contract the pericardial type survive longer than six months.

Symptoms

The clinical presentation of symptoms isn't always apparent when the cancer initially develops, a fact that contributes to a late-stage diagnosis. The fact that symptoms resemble those of other heart conditions also makes the cancer difficult to accurately diagnose.
Most symptoms are caused by the buildup of fluid and the thickening of pericardial layers. The presence of any of these symptoms should be followed by a visit to the doctor with recommended screenings such as an X-ray or CT scan.

The following symptoms may indicate pericardial mesothelioma:

Heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Difficulty breathing, even when at rest (dyspnea)
Murmurs
Cough
Shortness of breath when lying flat
Chest pain
Fatigue
Fever or night sweats