What is Benign Mesothelioma?
Mesotheliomas are essentially unusual growths formed by certain cells found in the covering or lining of various organs within our body. We can generally categorize these into benign, or noncancerous, and malignant, or cancerous variations. This explanation will concentrate on the benign type. Even though the term “benign” implies that these growths are harmless, they often recur in the same area after being removed. In very few instances, they may even transform into a cancerous form.
A typical example of a benign mesothelioma is the benign multicystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum (BMMP). These growths are infrequent and often originate from the organ’s lining in the pelvic region, such as the bladder, uterus, ovaries, or rectum. Benign mesotheliomas are also frequently found developing from the lining of the lungs (pleura), heart (pericardium), and the abdomen (peritoneum).
The actual cause or process of these growths’ development remains unclear. Unlike malignant mesotheliomas, there’s no confirmed link to exposure to asbestos. People with this condition may often experience discomfort or pain in the abdomen, unusual weight gain, shortness of breath, and sometimes fluid around the lungs.
What Causes Benign Mesothelioma?
It’s well known that harmful substances like asbestos and silica can lead to malignant mesotheliomas, a type of cancer affecting the tissue lining certain organs. However, the exact causes behind benign mesotheliomas (non-cancerous tumors) are still not fully understood.
Popular theories suggest that these benign tumors may develop due to responses, such as hyperplasia (or the thickening of tissue), that the mesothelial cells – these are cells lining the chest and abdominal cavities – have to different triggers. These triggers could include foreign materials, dust, small fibers, and physical injuries. It’s believed that such injuries may cause an abnormal increase in the number of mesothelial cells and could lead to changes in the underlying connective tissue, creating a problematic lesion.
Another thought is that specific immune cells, called mononuclear cells, attaching to mesothelial surfaces and undergoing changes could also contribute to the development of these benign tumors. And, it’s been observed that these benign mesotheliomas are also common in patients who have inflammation-related diseases.
Risk Factors and Frequency for Benign Mesothelioma
Benign mesotheliomas are a very uncommon kind of tumor. In fact, they’re much less common than the malignant, or harmful, types. To give you an idea of their rarity, multicystic peritoneal benign mesotheliomas (a specific type of these tumors) only occur in about 0.15 in every 100,000 people each year.
These benign mesotheliomas are more often seen in women who are in their 20s to 40s. This could be related to conditions like endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. When men get these tumors, they are usually older, around the average age of 67. Since men get this disease less frequently than women, it’s harder to identify patterns, but there could be a connection to a history of surgeries in the abdomen.
Similarly, women who have had abdominal surgeries may show a link to the development of benign mesotheliomas. There’s also some evidence that exposure to cadmium, a type of metal, could be associated with these tumors.
Also, individuals who consume alcohol, smoke, have a history of physical trauma or a family history of benign mesotheliomas have a higher chance of developing these tumors.
Signs and Symptoms of Benign Mesothelioma
Benign mesothelial proliferations are a type of growth that can occur in the mesothelium, a protective tissue layer that covers many of the body’s internal organs. Patients with these growths might experience a range of symptoms including:
- Feeling of fullness or lumps in the abdomen
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain, sometimes coupled with fluid buildup around the lungs (pleural effusions)
- Unexpected weight gain
- Shortness of breath
- Obstructed intestines
- Acid reflux symptoms
- Urinary issues
If a patient with a pleural effusion has one that is bloody (or hemorrhagic), it could suggest that the process is more likely to be malignant, or cancerous, rather than benign. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are other things that can also cause bloody pleural effusions, including injury and pneumonia.
Testing for Benign Mesothelioma
Various techniques like CT scans, ultrasound, and MRI scans are often used for the evaluation process. They can help identify the origin of the body’s abnormal growth and visualize how complex it is and how it affects the surrounding organs. In case fluid is found in the area surrounding the lungs, it’s important to carefully study that fluid. This involves extracting the fluid and conducting chemical, microbiological, and cell-based examinations. These tests can provide essential hints about what caused this fluid buildup.
To confirm the diagnosis, the abnormal growth has to be removed and carefully examined. Newer technologies, like molecular analysis, are becoming increasingly valuable to assist with diagnosis.
Treatment Options for Benign Mesothelioma
The usual approach to treat benign mesotheliomas is through surgery to remove the tumor. However, if the entire tumor isn’t removed, there’s a high chance of it coming back in the same place. Therefore, for certain types of mesotheliomas, like benign cystic mesothelioma in the lining of the abdomen, some experts suggest a more aggressive removal coupled with heated chemotherapy inside the abdomen to prevent the tumor from returning.
What else can Benign Mesothelioma be?
When diagnosing mesotheliomas, which are tumors that affect lining of organs like the heart, lungs, or stomach, doctors have to consider other diseases that may show similar signs. This could include serious conditions like malignant mesothelioma (a type of cancer), pleural lipomas, sarcomas, and certain types of tumors. Occasionally, it could even be forms of lymphoma affecting the pleura- although this is rare. It’s also important to note that cancerous mesotheliomas occur more frequently than the non-cancerous kind.
Determining whether a mesothelioma is cancerous or not is often the key concern for doctors. X-ray or CT scans alone may not be able to clearly show the difference between benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) mesotheliomas, so further tests might be needed.
For people living in other parts of the world where it’s more prevalent, another condition to bear in mind is hydatid cysts. These are caused by a parasite and need careful handling, because if a cyst ruptures during a biopsy (a procedure where a small piece of tissue is removed for testing), it can potentially trigger a severe allergic reaction.
What to expect with Benign Mesothelioma
Generally, the outlook for benign mesotheliomas is positive if the abnormal growth is entirely removed through surgery. However, it’s important to note that these growths often recur, and if this happens, complete surgical removal is again necessary. So far, there are no clearly identified factors that increase the risk of these growths recurring.
Possible Complications When Diagnosed with Benign Mesothelioma
Benign mesothelioma is typically a harmless disease that doesn’t cause issues over time. However, it isn’t entirely risk-free, especially after surgery. One potential issue that people commonly encounter after surgery is the buildup of fluid in the pleural spaces, the areas around the lungs. This can put pressure on the lungs and the heart. To manage this, doctors will have to surgically remove the excess fluid and insert a fitted chest drain to get rid of any remaining fluid and prevent further accumulation.
Preventing Benign Mesothelioma
While surgery usually goes smoothly, patients should be fully aware of the possible risks involved, as mentioned earlier. They also need to understand that the issue might recur and that there’s a very small chance that it could turn into cancer.
