Sometimes doctors refer to this disease as Mesothelioma of the pericardium. Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest form of mesothelioma, accounting for less than 1% of all cases. Common clinical features are constrictive pericarditis, cardiac tamponade, and cardiac failure. Surgery can be curative in localized cases. This type of mesothelioma is so rare, that there is little specific research on this type of Mesothelioma cancer. Approximately 2,000 new cases of Mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, and fewer than 200 of them are Pericardial Mesothelioma.
Surgery can be curative in localised cases. Response to radiotherapy is poor. A pericardiectomy may be performed to alleviate symptoms and an oncologist may opt to give a patient chemotherapy to reduce the tumor mass; all of which are commonly used palliative measures.
