Mesothelioma Cancer Cell Types

To understand mesothelioma is to understand cancer. Cancer is essentially uncontrolled cellular growth. Under normal circumstances, body cells in the hair, bone, organs, or blood grow to a certain point, die off, and are replaced by newer, healthier cells. Unfortunately, most cancer cells are damaged to some degree, and as the body reproduces them they begin to take over for healthy cells, leading to eventual system failure.

Mesothelioma cells are divided into three main categories: epithelioid, sarcomatoid cells, and a mix of the two types called biphasic mesothelioma.

Cancers like mesothelioma can affect virtually any type of cells in the body, often radically affecting the prognosis and treatment options for patients. The tragedy of mesothelioma is that it takes decades before most symptoms appear, and by the time the cancer is discovered it is too entrenched in the system to treat.

Epithelioid Mesothelioma

The most common and relatively treatable form of the cancer is Epithelioid 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. Between 50-70% of mesothelioma cases fall into this category, and this type is most likely to respond to treatment

Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the most serious form of the disease, as it rarely responds to any treatment whatsoever. Fortunately it is also the rarest, as it only strikes 10-20% of patients with mesothelioma. It appears as spindle-shaped pattern of cells that overlap one another, and generally arises from support tissues such as bone, cartilage, muscle, and fat. Death usually occurs within six months of diagnosis of sarcomatoid mesothelioma.

Biphasic Mesothelioma

Biphasic mesothelioma is not a condition unto itself, but rather it is a combination of the other two types. It can take on both the good and bad aspects of sarcomatoid and epithelioid mesotheliomas and 20-35% of all mesothelioma cases are mixed or biphasic.

Mesothelioma is truly the deadly scourge of the 21st century. Because it takes decades before the first symptoms appear, many health professionals believe that there will be a mesothelioma epidemic in the decades to come. If you or someone you love was the victim of this deadly disease, you must consult one of the mesothelioma attorneys today.

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