lung cancer of mesothelioma

Pericardial mesothelioma develops in the pericardium, a membrane made up of mesothelial cells that surrounds the heart and provides protection and support to this organ. The membrane is composed of two different layers - an outer layer called the parietal layer (called the heart sac or theca cordis), and an inner layer known as the visceral layer (called the epicardium). The parietal layer is part of a larger membrane that lines the entire chest cavity, while the visceral layer is the pericardial membrane that lines the heart.

The cause of pericardial mesothelioma is not very well understood as pleural mesothelioma which develops in the lining of the lungs, caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers. However many mesothelioma experts believe that inhaled asbestos fibers flow via the bloodstream from the lungs to the heart. But this is still a theory.

Mesothelioma is a highly aggressive cancer that is difficult to both diagnose and treat. Between two and three thousand cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in America, and these figures are projected to increase throughout the next decade.