Of the three types of malignant mesothelioma, epithelial is the most common, occurring in approximately 60% of cases. These mesothelioma cells have been given this name because they have the appearance of epithelial cells, which line organs and cavities throughout the human body.
Epithelial (epitheloid) mesothelioma cells generally feature a well-defined, uniform shape. The most common and relatively treatable form of the cancer is Epithelial Mesothelioma. Under a microscope, this type of the disease is seen as a papillary or tubular growth and generally affects membranes and tissues that cover organs and other internal bodily surfaces. Somewhere between fifty(50) and seventy (70)% of all Mesothelioma cases belong to this category.
The vast majority of Epithelial Mesothelioma cases are the result of asbestos exposure. Indeed, one of the most frustrating aspects of this type of cancer is that patients who develop it were generally exposed fifteen to forty years before hand, which often makes the time and place the disease was contracted difficult to determine.
The early symptoms of Epithelial Mesothelioma are subtle and somewhat general. Shortness of breath and chest pain are the most common early symptoms. Because these symptoms are so generic, Epithelial Mesothelioma is rarely detected early on.
Although this cancer is usually extremely difficult to diagnose, Epithelial Mesothelioma is the most likely to respond to treatment. Of the three main types, Epithelial Mesothelioma has the best prognosis of all, promising patients good treatments and the possibility of a better life expectancy compared to the other variants. However, an early diagnosis is important and because of it relief and treatment for people with Epithelial Mesothelioma have improved dramatically.
