Key takeaways: Pericardial mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the tissues surrounding the
heart. Symptoms manifest in a similar way to other diseases and cancers, so diagnosis is made
more difficult. Asbestos and radiation exposures are significant risk factors for developing
pericardial mesothelioma. There is not one course of treatment that has been known to
effectively work well, although there are clinical trials and conjunctive techniques that are being
employed.
What is it?
This type of mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the tissues (mesothelium) surrounding the
heart. It is associated with asbestos exposure, either environmentally or occupationally. Other
probable causes for pericardial mesothelioma are extensive exposure to radiation (especially
around the chest area), tuberculosis, and certain carcinogenic agents previously used in medical
scanning. Less is understood about how pericardial mesothelioma develops, as some
epidemiological studies present conflicting evidence about asbestos exposure as a risk factor for
onset.
Symptoms usually present as general fatigue, difficulty breathing, nondescript heart problems,
pericardial effusion (which is an excess of fluid in the area surrounding the heart), chest pain,
and persistent cough. Because the symptoms align with other diseases and cancers, pericardial
mesothelioma is an elusive cancer; sometimes, it isn’t diagnosed until after death. Diagnostic
measures include echocardiograms (which visualize the heart via ultrasound), CT scans, biopsy
(an extracted sample of living tissue from the affected area), and histology tests (which are
examinations of tissues sourced directly from the mesothelium around the heart). The only way
to receive a definitive pericardial mesothelioma diagnosis is for a histological assessment. While
visual techniques help initially identify a problem, there’s no way to guarantee one diagnosis
over another, especially considering how rare pericardial mesothelioma is.
The median age of diagnosis is 55 and there is not a specified or unanimous treatment plan.
Oftentimes, surgery and chemotherapy used in conjunction increase a patient’s prognosis,
especially if the cancer is detected early. While surgery (resectable approach) might initially
help, chemotherapy is the only treatment approach that resulted in significant increases of
survival (McGehee et al.). The projected life expectancy is six months after a diagnosis of
pericardial mesothelioma, both with and without medical intervention.
What is the Difference Between Pericardial and Pleural Mesothelioma?
Compared to malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), which accounts for about 50-70% of all
mesothelioma cases, this type of mesothelioma accounts for about 1-2% of all mesothelioma
cases. And, while pleural mesothelioma arises in the tissues surrounding the lungs, pericardial
mesothelioma arises around the heart. Both cancers could metastasize, or spread beyond their
initial affected area, into the other because of their close proximity to each other.
More is known about the risk factors associated with pleural mesothelioma, with asbestos
exposure being the most pertinent. Because of the relative rarity of it, there has been a notable lack in the literature about ways to quickly and accurately diagnose it.
Because of this, treatment options are much more limited and require more research. There have
only been a few longitudinal/retrospective studies detailing specific case studies of pericardial
mesothelioma, so it would be useful for a contemporary review of these cases.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, please call
(800)-505-6000 for legal help. For more information, fill out the form on our Homepage.
Sources:
Godar, M., Liu, J., Zhang, P., Xia, Y., & Yuan, Q. (2013). Primary Pericardial Mesothelioma:
A Rare Entity. Case Reports in Oncological Medicine, 2013, 283601.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/283601
McGehee, E., Gerber, D. E., Reisch, J., & Dowell, J. E. (2019). Treatment and Outcomes of
Primary Pericardial Mesothelioma: A Contemporary Review of 103 Published Cases.
Clinical Lung Cancer, 20(2), e152–e157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cllc.2018.11.00
