Mesentery Cancer

The term mesentery cancer is more or less synonymous with peritoneal cancer (mesothelioma). Though the term mesentery technically refers to various sections of the peritoneum that attach different organs to the wall of the abdominal cavity, (i.e. mesogastrium for the stomach, mesojejunum for the jejunum), in this context it describes all abdominal peritoneal extensions. Tumors rarely originate in the actual mesentery, though it is a frequent route for the spread of mesothelioma through the abdominal cavity.

When a doctor suspects abdominal cancer he will perform an MRI, CT Scan or X-Ray in order to obtain a view of the chest and abdominal cavities. If the peritoneum is congested with fluid, the doctor will typically conduct a "fine-needle aspiration", which means he will use a syringe to collect a sample of the fluid. The fluid will than be examined to determine whether or not mesothelioma is present. The "fine-needle aspiration" also allows the doctor to alleviate symptoms caused by fluid build up. If a diagnosis can not be determined from the fluid sample, than generally a tissue sample or a 'biopsy' will be taken.

Once mesothelioma has been diagnosed, the next step is determining how far the illness has progressed. This is done by studying the imaging of MRIs or CT Scans and is known by doctors as 'staging'. Doctors chart mesothelioma in five stages of development i.e. Stage I mesothelioma, Stage II mesothelioma, etc. Stages II through V are considered advanced mesothelioma and typically removal of the cancer is no longer an option. In general, mesothelioma is very difficult to treat. First its tumors appear in the membranes surrounding the chest cavity and abdominal cavity, than spread to the underlying organs. This type of growth makes a complete surgical removal of mesothelioma very unlikely.

Chemotherapy, radiation, or surgical treatment, when used alone, are often ineffective in treating mesothelioma. Combined approaches that utilize these therapies together, particularly using chemotherapy prior to surgery, as well as new drugs that specifically target the genetic material in mesothelioma cells, are currently being tested.

When traditional methods have failed or seem unlikely to work, clinical trials are sometimes an option for patients. Clinical trials are human research studies conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of new treatments. The treatments have already been tested in laboratories and have shown enough promise to be tested on humans. If a patient takes part in a clinical trial, he or she may benefit from a new technique while helping scientists evaluate its effectiveness.