Malignant mesothelioma is generally divided into 3 categories of cells: epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic mesothelioma. In each of these mesothelioma cancer cell types, subtypes exist as well. Many mesothelioma patients display more than one cell type.
Mesothelioma can't be specifically diagnosed by x-rays or other types of images because many different types of cancer can be present in the lungs. Images only show that a tumor may be present, but they do not provide an indication as to whether the tumor is malignant mesothelioma. A biopsy is necessary where the mesothelioma cancer cell types are in order to distinguish mesothelioma from other types of cancer, for example lung cancer.
Epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common cell type, making up approximately 50 to 70% of all malignant mesothelioma. The cells are basically uniform in shape and have a tubular pattern with a distinct cell nucleus. The individual cells are shaped like cubes or multi-sided boxes.
Due to the similarity between adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma cancer cells, the two diseases are often confused and mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed. Inspection of the cancer cells under high-powered microscopes and identification of unique characteristics of the chemical properties of the cells may help the doctor make the proper diagnosis, especially if certain mesothelioma symptoms are experienced by the patient.
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the least common type of mesothelioma cancer cell and makes up for approximately 10 to 15% of malignant mesothelioma. These cells normally have an oval, irregular shape. The nucleus of each cell is not as visible with a microscope as the epithelioid mesothelioma cancer cells. Due to the similarity in appearance, the sarcomatoid cancer cells can also easily be confused with the more typical sarcoma cancer cells.
Approximately 20 to 40% of the mesothelioma cancer cells are in the biphasic category, which is a combination of both the sarcomatoid and epithelioid cancer cells. The biphasic type can occur with the two types of cells intermixed continuously throughout the tumor, or with separated into specific groupings. Transitional areas between the two cell types are often present.
The cancer cell type for mesothelioma does affect the prognosis. A study conducted on 167 patients showed that patients had the following mean survival times: epithelioid - 8.5 months, sarcomatoid - 7 months, biphasic - 6 months. With no effective mesothelioma treatments effective, the disease is almost always fatal. Link mesothelioma treatments.
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